


Husbands and Hellions

by KaylaCat00



Category: Beetlejuice (1988)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Light BDSM, Lust, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 01:56:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 61,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18841291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaylaCat00/pseuds/KaylaCat00
Summary: “Give me a chance. I bet you will want to be my wife by the time this is all over,” he said, with no trace of teasing in his tone. Lydia blushed from what Betelgeuse was insinuating.Betelgeuse can't get Lydia out of his mind; Lydia makes another deal with the Ghost with the Most.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A few weeks ago, I watched Beetlejuice for the first time since I was a kid, and when it finished I couldn't help but wonder what could happen after the ending of the movie. What if the Ghost with the Most ended up going back to Lydia, and this time tried to win her over the old-fashioned way? And what if Lydia actually got to know him, and maybe... he wasn't so bad? Then my imagination took over, and well, here we are.

He didn’t know why, but he kept finding himself returning to her mirror. It had been several months since the most eligible bachelor of the damned almost settled down and tied the knot with one Miss Lydia Deetz. Betelgeuse was never one to get his feathers all ruffled up, but this particular incident really rattled him due to the fact that he’d been _so. Fucking. Close._ Or at least that’s what he told himself.

After a pretty nasty confrontation from Juno, Betelgeuse was thrown back to his ramshackle excuse for a house in the Netherworld. Despite the fact that he had almost married a teenager, Juno couldn’t quite pin him for as many crimes as she would have liked due to the fact that no one died and–– in fact, Betelgeuse had saved the Maitlands from an even worse damnation. So it was with great resignation that Juno had let the infamous Beetle crawl away, smoke curling from her throat and around her narrowed eyes.

Betelgeuse literally had nothing but time on his dead hands, so he putzed around for awhile. He got drunk and smashed beer bottles just by twitching his index finger until he got bored. He haunted a few unfortunate souls but quickly lost interest. He fucked around with his usual score of unappealing but eager whores, but he couldn’t fuck away a certain annoying name. It wasn’t until he found himself hunting for whores with raven-black hair and hooded eyes that the Beetle decided he needed to get a grip on himself.

And so that was the first time he allowed himself to haunt Lydia’s mirror, figuring that a quick check-up on the girl would put his mind at ease.

It had been several months since Betelgeuse had seen his would-be bride. He found her lounging on her bed like a cat, nose buried in a book. To his surprise, Lydia looked completely different. Well, she was still covered head-to-toe in black.

But there was something about the way her hair was styled, no longer hiding her eyes. Maybe it was the way she was wearing her black clothes, no longer hiding behind the onyx fabric but flaunting it. The ghost with the most was struck with a benign realization; his ex-fiancé was quite a lovely little thing.

Someone hollered up the stairs and Lydia broke away from her book, making a face of frustration before snapping it closed. While she wandered towards the stairs to answer her stepmother’s call, Betelgeuse decided he’d wasted enough time spying on his ex-fiancé. He couldn’t even really put a finger on why he’d come here in the first place. So with a self-loathing snort, the frost faded from Lydia’s mirror and he was gone.

A few days passed by, when Betelgeuse found himself once again drawn to Lydia’s mirror. Telling himself that he was just killing time, he stepped into the girl’s mirror and found her sitting at her desk, brandishing a silver curling iron. The intrepid machine clamped down with vicelike jaws on her hair, which was shorter than he remembered it. He liked her shorter hair; it made her look a little older.

Without even realizing it, Betelgeuse formed a routine of checking in on his ex-fiancé. Occasionally he’d check on her and she’d be getting out of the shower, or changing clothes, and despite his lower instincts the poltergeist would force himself to give the girl privacy. Sometimes she wasn’t home, but when she was, she was reading or doing homework at her desk.

When Lydia wasn’t home, Betelgeuse took it upon himself to explore her room. He knew the Maitlands could sense his presence, so he wasn’t quite allowed through the threshold of Lydia’s room. However, he discovered (and felt quite clever about it) that he could materialize through reflective objects in her room without angering the vanilla Maitlands.

It was through this mode of exploration that Betelgeuse made a few _interesting_ discoveries. The first was Lydia’s blood red wedding dress, which he found stuffed in the back of the girl’s closet _but there nonetheless_. The second discovery lay within the confines of Lydia’s wooden jewelry box, which was filled with old garish jewelry. What captured Betelgeuse’s attention was a particular ring in the corner of the jewelry box. It was none other than the ring he’d so romantically pried off of a dismembered finger and given to Lydia on their wedding day.

However, the most _fascinating_ discovery came when Betelgeuse was exploring the girl’s desk. Out of pure curiosity he’d paged through one of her history textbooks, mostly for kicks and giggles to see how inaccurately humans had written about events that he had personally experienced. What caught Betelgeuse’s eye was a little sketch on one of the pages. Betelgeuse stared down at the sketch, startled to recognize the unruly hair and striped suit.

This was indefinite, solid proof that Lydia Deetz, his little would-be-wife, was at some point thinking about him. And so, in a weird way, this made Betelgeuse feel a little less ridiculous for snooping around a teenager’s bedroom. Betelgeuse cracked a cocky smile, quite flattered that he was occupying the girl’s thoughts enough to prompt a sketch. And it wasn’t a half-bad sketch, either.

However, it was Betelgeuse’s cockiness that landed him into trouble later that evening. He drifted aimlessly in Lydia’s mirror, a pastime that he did almost subconsciously now. His eyes were closed and his arms folded behind his head, floating lazily while listening to Lydia’s radio. He was snapped right out of his reverie by a sharp, indignant voice that belonged to none other than his ex-fiancé.

“Betelgeuse.”

The poltergeist’s eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. He crashed to the floor of Lydia’s mirror, annoyed with himself for being caught off guard. He swung around to find Lydia standing in the center of her room, hands haughtily on her hips. She wasn’t looking at the mirror, however, which confused Betelgeuse. Did she know he was here? He knew for a fact that she hadn’t been able to see him in the mirror these past months.

“I know you’re there,” the girl said matter-of-factly. “I can’t see you, but I’m pretty sure you’re the reason my room has been in upheaval lately.” She crossed her arms across her chest, glaring in all directions of the room. It appeared that she was waiting for some kind of response. “Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Even though Betelgeuse couldn’t verbally communicate with her, he sheepishly flickered the lights in her room to acknowledge that he could hear her. He’d considered just vanishing all together, but it was interesting to him that Lydia could still sense him. Something told Betelgeuse that there was something fun here, and besides he was bored out of his brains.

“That’s what I thought,” Lydia said sourly, but from the way her chest puffed out Betelgeuse could tell she enjoyed being right. “I don’t know what you want, but leave me alone. Surely there’s someone else out there you can haunt.”

Betelgeuse floated closer to the girl’s mirror. He was so deliciously close to being a part of her world again. It was cruel, being kept in the confines of this refractive glass like a fishbowl. The girl wasn’t wrong–– there were plenty of other people Betelgeuse could be haunting. But there was an infuriating web that kept drawing the ghost back to her. He figured he had a right to explain himself, lest the girl start getting silly ideas like he had nothing better to do than haunt _her._

He knocked two pencils off the girl’s desk, where they landed at the girl’s feet. She stared down at them, brow furrowed for a split second while she decoded his sign.

“Two,” she mused. Her neck shot up so fast it looked like it hurt, but Lydia’s black eyes were raging. “You couldn’t _possibly_ think I’d say your name two more times. I just said it the first time to get your stupid attention.”

Betelgeuse rolled his eyes. He didn’t like the way Lydia was acting so cocky, as if she was the one in control here. With a flick of his wrist, Lydia’s history book flipped open to the page that contained a little sketch of the Beetle himself. Her eyes fell on the sketch and immediately a furious blush colored her cheeks. She slammed the book shut.

“I _knew_ you were snooping through my things!” she snapped, clearly embarrassed beyond belief. Betelgeuse smirked; good, she was properly flustered. Just because she couldn’t hear or see him didn’t mean he couldn’t put Lydia in her place. Eager to rub it in just a _little_ bit more, the wooden jewelry box suddenly sprang open. Out of its splintered mouth danced a little wedding ring that made a beeline for Lydia and dropped right into her hand.

Lydia stared down at the ring for a second, seeming to be in shock. And then, so quickly that Betelgeuse almost had whiplash from watching her, she practically punted the ring across the room. Betelgeuse realized a little too late that his teasing had properly pissed Lydia off. She was so mad that she was actually shaking. “Fuck you,” she said, very quietly, before leaving the room.

Betelgeuse found himself alone, and suddenly forced to deal with the embarrassing amount of _guilt_ that sprang through him. He could not remember the last time he’d deigned to feel _guilty_ over fucking anything. Unable to process this strangely human emotion, Betelgeuse grew ten times his normal size and snarled furiously to Lydia’s empty room.

_“Fucking brat!”_ he raged, summoning beer bottles and lamps and anything remotely breakable before shattering it against the inside of Lydia’s mirror. The mirror, of course, was unscathed. The same could not be said for Betelgeuse’s pride. What the _hell_ was he doing, anyways? He was having a fucking tantrum. He was acting more like a teenager than the actual teenager who had just exited the scene.

The rest of the evening, Betelgeuse floated miserably in between planes of existence. He drank a lot of beer and smashed every single bottle. He jumped aimlessly between worlds until coming to a dead stop at Lydia’s mirror. He’d come back reluctantly to possibly make a half-hearted attempt at an apology, which was a foreign word to the poltergeist. He raged at himself for even entertaining the thought of _apologizing_ to a fucking teenager. But what really brought Betelgeuse to a full stop was the fact that Lydia was not alone in her room.

She was on her bed, which wasn’t unusual. But she was currently being pinned into the mattress by a boy with a shock of dirty blonde hair. It took Betelgeuse a fraction of a second to recognize the soft little whimpers and groans the teenagers were emitting. His gaze swept from the boy’s shirt, which had been abandoned on the floor, to the way his hands were currently wandering into Lydia’s skirt.

Looking back on it, Betelgeuse wasn’t quite sure what happened. All he knew was one second, he was staring in disbelief at the scene unfolding before him, and the next Lydia’s thighs were wrapped around the boy’s back. Something in the poltergeist short circuited, and all of the lights in Lydia’s room were fried. A bulb in the ceiling fan even popped into nothing but delicate ribbons of glass that dusted the carpet.

At the same moment the lights went out, there came a horrible _crack_ that echoed throughout the room. By this point the boy was quite shaken up, but Lydia just propped herself up on her elbows and smirked in the direction of the broken mirror as if to say _gotcha._

Betelgeuse gaped at her. In one foul swoop he realized that the teenager–– _a fucking human teenager_ –– had played him like a fiddle. She had brought this fucking _boy_ back to her room knowing full well that Betelgeuse would be able to see them. Betelgeuse knew he should have been furious, like throwing balls of fire furious, but all he could do was stare slack-jawed at Lydia.

“What’s going on?” the boy kept saying, throwing his clothes on. “You okay, Lyds? Did the power go out?”

_Lyds._ Betelgeuse didn’t like that the boy had a nickname for his ex-fiancé. He chose not to question why this bothered him.

“Looks like it,” Lydia said, breaking out into a fake yawn. “Well, you’d better head home.”

For good measure, she gave the boy one final kiss. The glass in the mirror splintered half an inch more, to which Lydia cast a darkly amused glance.

Betelgeuse was always a little unhinged, but right now his brain was going haywire. He scowled at Lydia as she disappeared from the room with the boy. He wasn’t used to people having the ability to fuck with him, and he didn’t like it. Not. One. _Bit._

He paced like a rabid animal in Lydia’s mirror until he heard footsteps traipsing up the staircase. Lydia swept into the room, staring at the mirror with one eyebrow cocked. “You can come out now,” she said breezily.

Betelgeuse practically bared his teeth at her. According to the rules, Lydia was granting him permission to enter her _room_ , but he still wouldn’t be a part of her world and they both knew it. Just another way she was fucking with him. _She really did read the handbook cover to cover,_ Betelgeuse thought, torn between admiration and annoyance.

Slowly, Betelgeuse slipped through the cracks in Lydia’s mirror until he was standing at his full height in the girl’s bedroom. The moment the poltergeist stepped foot into her room, the lights came back to life and the broken bulb was returned to its original state. Lydia barely batted an eye at the sight of a poltergeist materializing out of thin air in her bedroom. She just folded her arms and glared up at him.

Betelgeuse straightened himself, pleased to be towering over the girl. He’d forgotten how small she was. Despite her short stature, the girl’s black eyes gleamed with mischief. He hated how confident and unwavering Lydia was in the face of true evil such as himself. Or did he like the fact that she wasn’t scared of him? Betelgeuse shook himself like a mangy dog, ridding himself of the preposterous thought and giving Lydia his sleaziest smile.

“Hiya, babes,” he snarled. “It’s good to see you moved on from me so quickly.”


	2. Chapter 2

As always, Lydia was unaffected by his words. “You aren’t very sneaky, you know. I’ve felt you in my room for months now.”

It was Betelgeuse’s turn to roll his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

Lydia raised her chin defiantly. Betelgeuse couldn’t believe the change in this girl. He remembered the first time he’d ever laid eyes on her–– in the form of a snake, he’d cornered her and Lydia had cowered before him. She hid her face and trembled like a little rabbit. The teenager standing before him now bore no resemblance to that lonely, frightened child he remembered.

“Here,” she said curtly, handing him something. Her wedding ring dropped into the palm of his hand. Before the poltergeist could react, she swept to the closet and ripped the red wedding dress out of its hanger. She all but threw it in Betelgeuse’s direction.

“Aye, aye, easy babes!” he protested, dodging the furious red dress. It fell to a delicate pile at his feet.

“You can take all of that back,” Lydia told him firmly. “And stop calling me babes. I’m not your babe.”

Betelgeuse said nothing. He just looked down at Lydia, still holding her wedding ring in his hand. She bristled at him until it became clear that the poltergeist was not reacting the way she’d thought he would. Disappointed, her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly and her arms fell to her sides. “What?” she asked, genuinely confused.

Betelgeuse was thinking. He ran a finger over Lydia’s wedding ring, watching the way it reflected the ceiling light. “I’m sorry,” he found himself saying, the words rough and unfamiliar in his mouth.

Of the possible scenarios Lydia had concocted in her head as to how this would go, Betelgeuse apologizing was clearly not on that list. She took a step back from him as though the brunt force of his apology had knocked her backwards. It was pretty clear to anyone who even knew of Betelgeuse that he did not apologize. For someone like Lydia, who had almost married the poltergeist, she could tell he wasn’t fucking with her. His eyes were boring into hers, and a strange tension cropped up between them that hadn’t been there before.

“What– what are you sorry for?” Lydia managed to say, tripping over her words.

Betelgeuse pushed his luck with a roguish smile. “I’m not sure where to begin,” he said, tapping his chin. Despite Lydia’s hard expression, her mouth betrayed her in the slightest, smallest little smile that ghosted her black lips. Betelgeuse knew his charming smile worked on most women, and it was good to see Lydia was no exception even though she tried to fight it.

“I’m sorry I snooped,” he said suddenly, all trace of humor gone from his expression. He was surprised to discover that he actually meant it, too. “And I’m sorry that I tried to force you to marry me.” His somber expression broke into a Jack-O’-Lantern grin at the mention of their ill-fated wedding. “Although can you blame me? You’re a looker, babes.”

Betelgeuse could see it all over Lydia’s face that she wanted to slap him, but the blush that rose up her neck suggested that she’d been affected by his compliment. And he wasn’t fucking with her on that one, either. From all of his time spent hovering in Lydia’s mirror up until this point of coming face-to-face with her, Betelgeuse was charmed.

“Take your shit and leave,” the girl muttered, ducking her head. “You’re no longer welcome in my room.”

A sentence like that from a human towards a ghost would normally banish it, but not the ghost with the most. He felt the tug of the sentence, but he firmly stood his ground. Lydia knew to speak that way because of the handbook, and was taken aback to see it had no effect on the Beetle. He reached forward and tapped her nose teasingly. “That doesn’t work on me, babe. Gotta be a lot stronger than that.”

Lydia scrunched up her nose and stepped away from him, making a noise of frustration. “I’ll–– I’ll got get one of my grandma’s crosses. Or maybe some holy water.”

Betelgeuse rolled his eyes yet again, jumping onto her bed. “After everything you saw on our wedding night, do you really think a plastic cross made in China or some stale holy water is going to have any effect on me?” He said this as slowly and patronizingly as possible, in a direct attempt to push Lydia’s buttons. In the brief time they’d been face to face, he quickly realized how adorable Lydia was when she was mad.

Sure enough, the teenager picked up a pillow and launched it at him. “Fuck you. And it wasn’t our _wedding night_ because we didn’t get married.”

Betelgeuse clutched dramatically at his chest, where hypothetically his big black heart would have been. “Ouch, babe. You really know how to kick a guy when he’s down.”

Lydia folded her arms again. “What do you really want?”

The poltergeist rolled over on his back, quite enjoying the bed. It was much cleaner and decidedly less lumpier than his. “I’m not like you, Lyds. I can’t move on as quickly as you. Maybe I missed you.”

The teenager made a scoffing sound in the base of her throat. “Cut the bullshit, demon. Why are you spying on me?”

Betelgeuse was no demon; he was a goddamn poltergeist, and it was quite insulting in his world to be called anything but. Maybe that was the reason why he flipped over and suddenly appeared very close to Lydia, baring his teeth. For every step he took towards her, she took a step back until she was pinned between her desk and the poltergeist.

“Why are you trying to make me jealous?” Betelgeuse hissed softly, green eyes flashing wildly down at her.

Finally, Lydia’s mask quivered and Betelgeuse could see the uncertainty in her eyes. She knew was Betelgeuse was capable of; she’d seen the things he did to her parents and their guests. Even though Betelgeuse had known from the moment he’d first seen Lydia that he would never hurt her, Lydia didn’t know that.

“I’m no _t_ ,” she hissed back, the _t_ popping off her tongue.

Betelgeuse made sure to keep a sliver of space between them, but they were both aware of the proximity. “Fine. Why are you trying to get my attention?” he snarled softly, cocking his head towards the bedsheets which were still twisted from that fucking boy.

“Be _cause_ you were spying on me. I wanted to know why you’re still here,” Lydia said indignantly, swallowing hard.

Betelgeuse gave her a strange look then. _Did it ever occur to you that I’m still here because of you? Because of our deal that you broke?_ He managed to keep these words from bubbling to the surface, and took a deep breath. “I have a preposition for you,” the ghost with the most said slowly.

Lydia shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

Something in Betelgeuse’s eyes must have startled the girl, because she immediately fell silent. He nodded. _Good girl._

“Finish your part of the deal,” Betelgeuse said softly. “I’ll leave you and your family alone. But you owe me. I saved your precious _Maitlands_ , and yet I am still _sans_ wife.”

Betelgeuse studied Lydia’s dark eyes, trying to gauge her reaction before she spoke. The fire from earlier seemed to have died down a bit, but the black coals of her eyes still glowered with residual frustration. “I can’t trust you.”

The poltergeist nodded; this, at least, they could agree on. “I know, babes. But listen. Give me a chance. I bet you will want to be my wife by the time this is all over,” he said, with no trace of teasing in his tone. Lydia blushed from what Betelgeuse was insinuating.

“What’s in it for me?” she asked slowly.

“I’ll be at your beck and call,” the poltergeist said simply. “Not just for our marriage, but for the rest of your short human life. I’ll always help you when you call for me. No tricks.”

“And you won’t hurt anyone? Physically or mentally?” Lydia added quickly.

“Not unless you want me to.”

Lydia sized Betelgeuse up. “How do I know you won’t break our deal? Or kill me?”

“I’m a ghost of my word, babes. I did everything you asked me to do on our wedding, did I not?” Betelgeuse paused. “If anyone should be questioning this deal, it’s me! _You’re_ the one who broke our last deal.”

Lydia didn’t say anything at first. She searched the ghost’s face for _anything_ , any subtle giveaway that this was another trick. With a jolt she realized that despite his appearance, Betelgeuse didn’t smell bad. He smelled of damp soil, a whiff of smoke, and something else. Lydia couldn’t put her finger on it, but for some reason it made her feel at ease. Something told her that even though Betelgeuse was capable of terrible things, he meant her no harm.

“Why do you want out so badly?” she finally asked, voice low. “It’s not everything it’s cracked up to be.”

Betelgeuse was suddenly brought back to their first actual conversation, when Lydia had all but confessed to the poltergeist that she wanted to be where _he_ was. Though Lydia would have made a lovely corpse, he didn’t like thinking of her stilled heart and lack of bloodstream. Before he could pinpoint exactly why this thought now bothered him, the Beetle said with a shrug, “I’m bored. Your world is much more interesting.”

Lydia scoffed. “So you’d be marrying me because you’re _bored_?”

Betelgeuse grinned lecherously down at her. “Oh, trust me babes, there’s another reason…” He had predicted her slap before the sentence even escaped his tongue, and he caught her wrist almost lazily. “Relax, I’m fucking with you. Look, Lydia, if you hold up your end of our deal this time, I swear that I’ll uphold everything I just told you.”

The use of Lydia’s actual name instead of some slimy pet name brought her to a pause. She could tell that the poltergeist meant every word he had said. She cocked her head, studying the poltergeist. He truly was desperate to be free.

“No one gets hurt?” she intoned.

Betelgeuse made an x over his chest. “Cross my heart and hope to live,” he said earnestly, green eyes shining.

Despite herself, Lydia found this amusing. “You don’t have a heart.”

“I do, it just doesn’t beat any more,” the ghost responded with a lopsided grin that revealed a row of sharp, grimy teeth. Lydia made a mental note to buy him a toothbrush if he ever passed back into the world of the living.

She let out a long, contemplative sigh. “Let me think about it.”

When the ghost started to protest, she cut him off. “I still don’t know if I trust you, _demon_.”

She said this on purpose, taking joy from the furious expression on Betelgeuse’s face. Lydia was surprised when he held his tongue, probably due to the fact that pissing her off right now wasn’t a great idea.

“Fine. I’ll give you a few minutes,” Betelgeuse relented.

Lydia’s hand itched, as if she was imagining slapping him again. “ _You_ don’t get to dictate this,” she said sharply, poking the poltergeist in the middle of his chest.

Betelgeuse stared in disbelief between her and the spot where she’d just fucking _poked_ him. Poked _him_ , the Ghost with the Most. _No one_ , in life or death, had the balls to be so bossy towards him except for Juno. But the truth was, Betelgeuse almost _liked_ Lydia’s newfound spunk. That was the only reason she didn’t lose her index finger.

“Fine. How much time do you need?” the ghost growled.

“Twenty-four hours. Come back tomorrow night,” Lydia said, a tone of finality in her voice that left no room for arguing.

Being that Lydia was the only person who could help him, Betelgeuse had no choice but to grind his teeth and accept her proposal. “Fineeee,” he growled, drawing out the last letter until his whole chest rumbled.

“Now get the fuck out of my room,” Lydia commanded.

Betelgeuse knew she was referencing the guidebook as well as taking his earlier comment into account. It wasn’t nearly strong enough, but her attempt was cute. It was a testament to his character that he chose to act like she’d successfully banished him.

“See you tomorrow night, babe,” the ghost with the most tossed over his shoulder as he floated back towards the mirror. He threw Lydia one final, lascivious wink before vanishing from her sight. 


	3. Chapter 3

Lydia lay on her bed, contemplating the color of her ceiling.

The red numbers glowing from her alarm clock read _8:29 PM._ She had exactly one hour until Betelgeuse would haunt her mirror one final time, awaiting her answer to his proposal. In typical fashion, today had flown by and without realizing it, Lydia was staring down the barrel of a shotgun that would fire in sixty minutes.

She glanced over at the clock. _8:30 PM._ _Make that fifty nine minutes,_ she thought wryly to herself.

The truth was, Lydia knew what she was going to tell Betelgeuse. The hard part was scrambling through every inch of her psyche to find solid evidence that would rationalize her decision. She’d woken up that morning knowing her answer, but even after a day of racking her mind, Lydia still didn’t have any sane reasons to back herself up.

Lydia had first realized something was up in her room a few months ago, when she stepped between her bedroom threshold and the staircase only to discover a significant change in temperature. Her room wasn’t always chilly, but she started to notice suspicious goosebumps blossoming over her skin at random times.

The electricity started acting strange in her room as well. Sometimes she’d snap them off before going to school, only to return home and find every one of her bedroom lights turned on. The lights weren’t the only things that were meddled with; objects were very subtly moved from the spots she’d left them in. Most people wouldn’t have noticed, but Lydia’s eyes were sharp when it came to anything peculiar. 

It didn’t take the girl long to figure out she was being haunted. And once she noticed the way the Maitlands started acting a little fidgety, refusing to come upstairs to her room, it didn’t take long for her to put two and two together. Though the Maitlands refused to admit what was wrong, probably in some misguided attempt to protect her, Lydia could see right through them. 

The ghost with the most was once again haunting her house.

Lydia would have been a liar if she said she’d never thought of Betelgeuse after their ill-fated wedding. For reasons she couldn’t quite fathom, the red wedding dress and ring were stashed away in her room–– instead of being burned, as Barbara had suggested. She sometimes had dark dreams that always ended with Betelgeuse in his snake form, slithering towards her with violence in his eyes, only this time she wasn’t afraid. 

Lydia chanced a glimpse over at her clock: _8:48 PM.  
_

She had forty-two minutes until she was graced by the presence of her poltergeist. Absently she wondered what Betelgeuse would do if she refused his offer. Truth be told there wasn’t much he _could_ do. Though Lydia allowed him entrance into her room, she knew he wasn’t at his strongest until fully immersed in the world of the living.

She vividly remembered being both frightened and in awe of the ghost’s immense power from the moment he’d uttered “ _It’s show time_.” A little shiver ran down her spine at the memory of the way he’d said those words, which of course had been enunciated with a bolt of lightning. He certainly had a flair for the dramatic. 

The thing that Lydia kept coming back to was the fact that Betelgeuse _had,_ indeed, kept his word to her. And the only reason he had threatened Lydia’s family was due to the deal he’d struck with the Maitlands. The moment Lydia agreed to marry the poltergeist, he had saved the Maitlands from a horrifying demise despite the bone he had to pick with them, and he hadn’t _killed_ anyone.

The skeptic within Lydia wasn’t impressed by this. Chalking someone up to be a decent character based on the fact that they refrained from _killing_ someone wasn’t very promising. But in a twisted way, to Lydia it was a start.

In the few moments she’d spent on the ghost’s arm while he’d animatedly tried to ward off the Maitlands and shove a ring on her finger, she couldn’t help but feel–– well, maybe a little _amused_ by him? And maybe, ever so slightly _intrigued_ by him? 

Lydia was certain this was not a normal, sane reaction to the poltergeist. But she was also certain that she had never been _normal,_ and things that repelled other girls–– like death or spiders–– only drew her in deeper. So it really wasn’t _that_ much of a shock that Betelgeuse intrigued her.

So when the numbers on her clock glowed _9:29 PM_ and the glass of her mirror grew foggy, Lydia prepared herself. The familiar goosebumps danced their way down her arms and over her thighs. The mirror was still cracked, which Lydia suspected was Betelgeuse’s only way into her room when he was still technically confined to the Netherworld. She made a mental note to ask him to fix it later.

Her room and the house around it seemed to fall utterly silent in anticipation. Tension colored the air, and Lydia didn’t even realize she was holding her breath until she swore the numbers on her alarm clock were stuck in limbo. But then the minute changed.

_9:30 PM.  
_

Never one to waste time, Betelgeuse materialized seemingly out of thin air right in the middle of Lydia’s room. He was once again wearing his black and white striped suit, which seemed to be a favorite of his. She recalled the first time she ever saw that suit; the ghost had been lounging on a couple plastic grave stones, smugly waiting because he knew she’d beg him to help the Maitlands.

If possible, Betelgeuse looked even more deranged than he had last night. His tangled mass of blonde hair stood in all directions, and Lydia was pretty sure even more green moss had sprouted along his jawline. Despite all of this, his suit was impeccably fitted to his broad chest and a black tie was neatly tucked under his jacket. Lydia always forgot how tall the ghost was, and she had to bite back a smile at the way Betelgeuse ducked to avoid hitting the switches on her ceiling fan.

“Hiya babes,” he drawled, the exact greeting she had received last night. He waggled his dirty eyebrows at her. “Miss me yet?”

Lydia took a quick breath, smoothing out her black skirt to ready herself, before jumping to the floor. She forced herself to stare straight into Betelgeuse’s wild eyes in a weak attempt at a power move. Betelgeuse smirked down at her, seeing right through the move but keeping his mouth shut for now.

“I’ll marry you,” she said, pleased that the words came out confident but unaffected, as if marrying Betelgeuse was just one in a long string of romantic entanglements. She fancied herself some kind of fabulous socialite, marrying for fun and for money but never getting down and dirty with those silly _emotions._

It was clear that Betelgeuse had not expected Lydia to come straight out with her answer. She couldn’t help but feel victorious at the way his green eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. Ever the actor, Betelgeuse regained his composure so quickly that Lydia almost doubted what she’d seen in the first place.

“You’ve said that before, sweet cheeks,” Betelgeuse growled, raising a brow her direction. “You know what they say… _once burned_ …”

“However,” Lydia continued, acting as though the ghost hadn’t even spoken. “I have a few stipulations.”

This time, Betelgeuse did not try to cover up his disbelief. If possible, his hair seemed to _bristle_ like a wild dog. “Stip _\- stipulations?!”_ the ghost barely gurgled out, besides himself with rage. “Who the _fuck_ do you think you are?”

Lydia remained unaffected by the ghost’s hissy fit. She’d planned for him to react this way. With the scene unfolding as she had anticipated, Lydia felt the power shifting back to her. She patiently waited for Betelgeuse to stop throwing a tantrum.

“The first,” Lydia said, over the particularly unattractive sound of Betelgeuse gnashing his teeth, “is even though we will be husband and wife, I won’t be _consummating_ anything. Do I make myself clear?”

Betelgeuse longed to ruffle Lydia’s feathers by making an obscene comment, but the steel behind her eyes brought him up short. He settled for a very long, sarcastic eye roll that momentarily got his eyes stuck backwards in his skull. When his eyes returned to their normal position, he’d hoped to have grossed Lydia out. To his grave disappointment, she seemed almost fascinated by his trick.

“I won’t touch ya until you want me to, babes,” Betelgeuse said with a lazy smile.

Choosing to ignore what the poltergeist was insinuating, Lydia moved on to her next order of business. “I will marry you, but I need you to prove to me that you’re someone I can trust.”

This genuinely took Betelgeuse by surprise. He sobered up quickly, eying Lydia suspiciously. It took the ghost a moment to gather his thoughts into a sentence. “You and I both know I’m not trustworthy, Lydia.”

“Maybe to most people,” she agreed without skipping a beat. “But if I’m going to be your wife, whatever the hell that means, I need to know I can trust you. For example, I need to know that if I _do_ allow you into this world, you won’t hurt or kill anyone. Including me, my family, or anyone else.”

Betelgeuse didn’t immediately reply. He was a ghost of his word and that was about the only decent trait Betelgeuse had. He couldn’t figure out Lydia’s angle here. He was pretty sure she’d never fully trust him, so why was she even asking? And _what_ exactly was he going to have to do in order to gain the girl’s trust? 

He curled his lip, wondering if this was even worth it. It sounded to Betelgeuse that for however long Lydia had him on probation, he was going to have to play nice. He easily waved off the _never hurt or kill anyone_ line. There were _plenty_ of loopholes he could easily slip through without ever technically betraying his promise to her. 

But Betelgeuse still had that funny feeling that if he stuck around Lydia, he’d sure as hell never be bored. And it seemed like there was a fair amount of shenanigans they could get into together, which sounded a lot better than whatever he’d been doing in the Netherworld. _And,_ if this deal with Lydia even brought him an _inch_ closer to being free, he’d do it. 

“Alright, babes. You got a deal,” Betelgeuse declared, extending his hand and offering her his most winning smile.

Lydia blinked. “You’re willing to wait until I trust you, so that I’ll marry you, _even if_ there’s no guarantee that I’ll ever trust you?”

Betelgeuse just winked at her, pleased to see the blush that warmed her cheeks. “You got it, honey bun.”

Tentatively, as if she half expected Betelgeuse’s hand to turn into a giant lobster, Lydia allowed the ghost to take her hand and give her a mighty shake. Somewhere in the distance of Lydia’s jumbled mind, she thought that Betelgeuse’s cold hand felt both softer and stronger than she’d imagined it. 

“ _So_ ,” Betelgeuse bellowed out the moment their hands dropped. “You’re going to have to teach me about this _courting_ business. Ta be frank, babes, I’m used to just jumping straight into it, if ya know what I mean.”

Lydia made a disgusted face, but when she didn’t respond Betelgeuse said, “You _do_ know what I mean, dontcha?”

“I’m not a child,” she said curtly. “I’m pretty sure even the _desk_ knows what you mean.”

Betelgeuse floated above her bed, crossing his elbows behind his head. A giddy expression passed over his face as he realized just how much fun this could be. “Oh, I’m aware you aren’t a child. I saw you fuckin’ around with that boy last night.”

Lydia turned her head sharply, hoping the ghost didn’t spot her red cheeks. “He’s just a friend,” she said quietly, pretending to be absorbed by her homework.

Something she said didn’t sit right with the ghost, because her book was abruptly ripped from her fingers and Betelgeuse towered over her. Lydia tumbled backwards onto her bed, the pulse in her throat jumping from the dark expression bleeding into Betelgeuse’s eyes. _  
_

“Speakin’ of _friends,_ ” the poltergeist drawled, “Now that I’m _courting_ my future wife, I don’t think it will be necessary for you to _see_ that type of friend anymore.”

Lydia remembered who she was and pushed Betelgeuse away from her. She half expected her hand to fall into mist, but instead her hand was met with an immobile force. Betelgeuse barely budged despite all of the strength Lydia poured into the shove. She gave up with a frustrated sigh.

“It’s not that type of marriage,” she told him crossly. “You’re going to keep fucking anything that moves, so why can’t I?” She rose her chin defiantly. The truth was, Lydia hadn’t had sex yet. But she didn’t like the way Betelgeuse’s words almost bordered on jealousy, and she wasn’t about to be loyal to him while he fucked around.

Something dark snapped behind Betelgeuse’s eyes. “I might be a bit of a rapscallion, but if I’m courting someone I won’t fuck around on them.” 

Unfortunately for Betelgeuse, his reputation proceeded him and Lydia didn’t believe a scrap of what he was feeding her. To be fair, he couldn’t exactly _blame_ her. One of their first encounters had taken place while he was relaxing on the porch of a brothel. 

“You’re full of shit,” she decided.

Betelgeuse ran a hand through his knotted hair. “I deserve that,” he mused, trying to play fair. “Well, guess I’ll just have ta show ya that I’m as loyal as a pooch.”

“I’m more of a cat person,” Lydia responded cheekily. The spark in her eyes informed Betelgeuse that she knew full well of how much of a pain in the ass she was being. Once again Betelgeuse was struck by the strange feeling of how much he _liked_ Lydia’s lack of fear towards him. This girl had seen the Beetle in one of his most terrifying forms as the snake, and yet here she was being mouthy towards him.

“Fine then. Loyal as a _pussy_ cat.” Betelgeuse did not miss the lovely blush that overtook Lydia’s pale cheeks at his choice of words. He was beginning to make a game out of how quickly he could bring that lovely rush of crimson to her cheeks and neck. The number of times he had made her blush in the past twenty-four hours also told Betelgeuse that she was _not_ the experienced young woman she’d like him to believe she was. 

He could have teased her about this, but something stopped him. In mild frustration, the ghost hovered higher up on her ceiling until he was gazing down at her on the bed. She was now pretending to ignore him, acting engrossed in what must have been homework. 

“You know what you have ta do, babes,” he said from his perch on her ceiling, his voice almost sing-songy.

Lydia didn’t spare him a glance. “I don’t have to release you from the mirror. That wasn’t part of the deal.”

“ _Yes_ ,” the ghost agreed in amusement. “But if I really have to win your heart before we get hitched, I think it’s only fair that I’m allowed to roam around.”

“You don’t have to win my heart, just my trust,” the teenager muttered into her notebook, angrily erasing something. Betelgeuse enjoyed the fact that he was distracting her so easily. 

“Babes,” he said seriously, floating down to eye level with his future bride. “Come on, it’s not fair to keep me in your mirror. How am I supposed to prove _anything_ ta you if I can’t even leave your bedroom?!”

Lydia blew a stray lock of black hair out of her face. She still did not glance up to acknowledge the ghost, but based on the way her pencil hesitated on the page Betelgeuse knew she was debating something. 

“The _moment_ you do something I don’t approve of, you’ll go right back into the mirror,” Lydia said sharply, finally meeting Betelgeuse’s intense gaze.  

Betelgeuse nodded eagerly. “Anything ya say, babes.”

Lydia narrowed her eyes at him over her homework. It was quite clear that Betelgeuse had a lot of work to do; she didn’t trust him farther than she could throw him. He could tell that she was apprehensive towards his eager attitude, but something told the Beetle that Lydia was also a little bored. Maybe, deep down, a _minuscule_ part of her was recklessly relieved by his return. It meant they could shake things up a bit.

“Fine,” Lydia said stoutly, shifting her position on the bed so that she faced him. Betelgeuse just looked at her expectantly, casually brushing off his jacket sleeves. He’d heard a lot of people say his names three times, but there was something sweet and dangerously attractive about the way Lydia said it.

The girl sucked in a deep breath, readying herself before plunging in to the cold, dark unknown–– again. 

“Betelgeuse,” she said firmly.

The ghost grinned maliciously down at her.

“Betelgeuse,” she repeated, her voice a little breathier this time when their eyes connected. Sudden images sprung to Betelgeuse’s mind of his body tangled with Lydia’s as she moaned his name. The unexpected and erotic image sent a violent wave of lust through the ghost. He shook himself wildly, growling in frustration. _What the fuck was that?  
_

Lydia, oblivious to the torturous images appearing into Betelgeuse’s mind, took in one final breath before saying quietly, “Betelgeuse.”

All at once, the cracked mirror behind them burst into fine shards that dusted the floor. Though it wasn’t a stormy night, there came a heavy roll of thunder followed closely by lightning. So much electricity flooded the room that the fine hairs on Lydia’s forearms raised. Betelgeuse abruptly disappeared while the lights in her room flickered and cackled. It took her a moment to realize it was Betelgeuse’s laughter.

And just like that, Lydia’s future husband strolled into her room with a familiar Jack-O’-Lantern grin on his face. His black-and-white suit seemed crisper than ever, and the dark shadows around his sockets appeared even blacker. He leaned against her doorframe just as a flash of lightning tore the sky apart. Betelgeuse’s silhouette in her doorway should have frightened Lydia, but it had the opposite effect. 

“Honey,” he drawled, shooting her a dirty wink. “I’m home!”


	4. Chapter 4

The Maitlands immediately sensed that Betelgeuse had once again been summoned into the household. Only moments after Betelgeuse had strolled into Lydia’s room, the Maitlands appeared and were pretty pissed off to see the black-and-white striped menace sitting casually on Lydia’s bed.

“Lydia,” Barbara gasped. “What have you done?” She sent an accusing glance at the ghost. “What did you _say_ to her?” she demanded.

Lydia couldn’t help the rush of guilt that overtook her. In the heat of their conversations, Lydia hadn’t thought about the Maitlands. She knew that _they_ knew Betelgeuse had been hanging around her room, but they probably had assumed she knew better than to summon him again.

“Hiya, Babs,” Betelgeuse said lazily, giving her the same winning grin he’d shot at Lydia earlier. However, it did not have the same effect; Barbara drew herself closer to the poltergeist, and the spiky heat of her fury actually singed the ghost’s edges.

“Whoa!” he exclaimed, hurtling backwards onto Lydia’s bed. “You’ve gotten a little stronger, Babs.”

Barbara ignored his theatrics. “What is going on here?” she asked slowly, fury brimming beneath every word. Goddamn if she wouldn’t have made a badass mother. _Good thing she has Lydia to play mom with_ , Betelgeuse thought to himself. 

Betelgeuse continued to ignore her, shooting a cocky grin in Adam’s direction. He was almost relieved to note that Adam hadn’t grown any stronger during their time apart. If Barbara and Adam had really put their heads together and became more powerful in unison, they _might_ have been able to do a bit of damage to Betelgeuse. But he was glad to see that they were still very much lukewarm ghosts, despite the newfound spark in Barbara.

“Good to see you, buddy,” he said to Adam.

Adam stared coldly at the ghost. “Lydia, get away from him,” he said to the teenager, never breaking eye contact with Betelgeuse.

Lydia started to get up from the bed when Betelgeuse clamped his fingers around her wrist, tugging her back towards him. “She won’t be _listening_ to you, Adam,” Betelgeuse said, suddenly very annoyed. “She’s _my_ fiancé.”

She hadn’t been expecting Betelgeuse to grab her like that, and his strong grip unbalanced her. She fell backwards, bumping into the ghost’s chest. Lydia was all too aware of their close proximity and though she tried to control it, the blush warmed her cheeks anyways. She wrenched herself away from Betelgeuse, frustrated with him for making her appear so foolish.

“Don’t act like I’m your property,” Lydia spat. “If you keep that up I’ll send you _right_ back into that mirror.”

Barbara looked between the two of them, slowly folding her arms. “Lydia,” she said, with all the patience of a mother. “Did he trick you?”

Lydia sighed. Even though she’d known her answer to Betelgeuse since this morning, she now wished she’d asked for more time to consider it. Maybe she should have consulted Barbara first. Suddenly feeling very naïve in the presence of this much older spirits, Lydia stared shamefully at her feet.

“No,” she said reluctantly, chest squirming at the thought of disappointing Barbara and Adam. “He didn’t trick me. He’s here because I want him here.” The sentence was out of Lydia’s mouth before she could stop it. She immediately realized how it sounded, and regretted her choice of words. She’d just been trying to take responsibility for what had happened. But she didn’t even have to turn around to sense Betelgeuse’s gleeful reaction.

“You can’t trust him, Lydia. He’s an evil spirit,” Adam said firmly, coming to stand next to his wife. Together they really did make quite the team. Lydia felt a stab of sadness for the children they’d never have. They would have made wonderful parents.

“ _Hey!_ ” Betelgeuse exclaimed, floating towards the ceiling. “I’m _right here_!”

“Yeah, we know,” Adam retorted, full of spite.

Lydia looked up to meet Barbara’s round, confused eyes. She’d expected them to be angry with her, even disappointed. But all she could see was Barbara’s concern for her. This somehow tore her apart even more.

“We made a deal,” Lydia said quietly, fully aware of how crazy she must seem to them.      

Even though Lydia knew that Betelgeuse would never hurt her, she could tell that the Maitlands wouldn’t believe this for a second. She couldn’t blame them. After all, they hadn’t seen a side of the ghost that wasn’t violent and manipulative. Lydia couldn’t help but like the fact there was a side to Betelgeuse he didn’t show anyone but her.

“Oh, Lydia,” Barbara murmured, burying her face in her hands. 

For once, Betelgeuse was remaining oddly quiet. If not for the perpetual goosebumps clinging to her skin, Lydia might have thought the ghost had run out on her. She realized that Betelgeuse was letting her figure this one out on her own. If this was a sign of treating her like an adult, then Lydia would take it. It was better than how most adults treated her, constantly smothering and talking over her.

“He saved both of you from damnation,” Lydia whispered, her voice hitching in her throat. A sudden flash of anger colored the girl’s voice. “My- my _parents_ were going to kill you all over again, and you would have gone to the Lost Souls room. I… I couldn’t bear to see that happen to you guys. So I told him I’d marry him if he’d save you, and he kept his promise to me.”

Barbara and Adam exchanged a meaningful look. Adam gently knelt down before Lydia, placing a strong hand on her shoulder. Behind them Betelgeuse growled, but they both ignored him. “Lydia,” he said softly. “We know that you made that deal for us. But… the danger is gone. That sandworm ate him, and it broke the deal. You don’t owe him anything.”

Betelgeuse summoned himself in front of Adam and Barbara, glaring at them. “That’s rich coming from _you two,”_ he snarled.

Barbara put her hands on her hips. “Excuse me?”

“You _broke our deal,_ ” Betelgeuse hissed, agitatedly moving from one foot to the other. “You wanted me to get rid of the new family–– _sorry babes,”_ the ghost shot over his shoulder, winking down at Lydia. “And _I_ held up my part of the deal,” he finished, snapping his head back towards the Maitlands.

“You didn’t exactly come off as _trustworthy_ the first time we met,” Adam pointed out.

Betelgeuse gave a dramatic sigh. “ _Fine._ I guess I can come off a little _strong.”_ Behind his back, where Lydia still was perched on the bed, the ghost was twiddling his fingers and playfully tapped Lydia on the nose as if to say _am I right?_ She couldn’t help but crack a tiny smile.

“But the girl’s right. _I_ am a ghost of my word. And I have given my word to Lydia that if she really marries me this time, I won’t hurt or kill anyone.”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” Barbara snapped. “You’ll just finagle your way out of that and cause mayhem. Besides, aren’t you on probation or _something_?”

“I sure was, thanks to your little _sandworm_ trick!” Betelgeuse shuddered. “But I got off scot-free since I didn’t hurt anyone, _and_ I fulfilled my promise to Lydia.” He rested his wild green eyes on the Maitlands triumphantly, as if prompting for their next argument that he’d easily shoot down.

“You shot two innocent people through a ceiling!” Adam exclaimed.

“ _Innocent_?” Betelgeuse echoed. “My man, they were trying to resurrect you, which would have left you eternally damned. Besides, they landed just fine out in the grass. If anything they won’t be partaking in séances anymore thanks to yours truly.” 

“Why do you want to be free so badly?” Barbara asked, steadily keeping her focus on Betelgeuse. He had the uncanny feeling that this woman could see right through him–– and not just because he was a ghost. If there was one soul in this room he needed to convince that he wasn’t going to hurt Lydia, it was Barbara.

“I’m tired of the Netherworld. I just want to be able to walk around and explore. My rapin’ and pilagin’ days are behind me, so to say.” Both Barbara and Lydia flinched at this, which immediately brought Betelgeuse to regret his choice of words. He swung around to face his future bride. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that. I just meant my days of causing havoc are behind me,” he shrugged. 

Barbara’s eyes widened. Had… had she just seen Betelgeuse _apologize_ to Lydia? She stared in disbelief between the two of them, trying to wrap her mind around the events unfolding before her. She’d always had a nose for bullshitters, which was why from the moment she’d laid eyes on Betelgeuse she didn’t like him one bit. She could tell when someone was lying, and being dead seemed to heighten those senses.

Betelgeuse had just _genuinely_ apologized to Lydia for his crude remark. She figured someone like Betelgeuse chalked up apologizing as a sign of weakness, and normally would never show any kind of weakness in front of them since he bragged about being the Ghost with the Most.

Quite baffled by all of this, Barbara snapped her eyes to catch Lydia’s reaction. She blushed a little bit from three pairs of eyes on her, and mumbled, “’s okay.”

Barbara looked over at Adam. Her husband seemed as startled as she was. He gave her a little shrug, and they turned their attention back to the poltergeist.

“Alright, Beetle,” she growled, folding her arms tightly across her chest. “I can understand why you want to be a part of the living world again. But isn’t there some _other_ poor sap you can trick into marrying you?”

“As if it’s that easy,” the poltergeist scoffed. “Lydia here is making me work for it.”

Barbara and Adam glanced at the girl. “What does that mean?” Adam asked evasively.

Lydia shook her head, as if still a little bit in disbelief herself at what was happening. “I agreed to marry him if he proves to me that I can trust him. Which means, I’ll trust that he isn’t going to hurt anyone. Physically _or_ mentally,” she added sharply, casting a dark look at Betelgeuse. He just raised his hands innocently.

“So you’re not getting married anytime soon,” Barbara came to realize. It still wasn’t the best predicament to be in, but at least this bought her and Adam some time. Maybe they’d be able to convince Lydia to cast the poltergeist back into the hell he came from.

Betelgeuse flicked a finger and a little lightbulb popped to life above Barbara’s head. “You got it, Babs!” She waved the apparition away in annoyance. Barbara took a step closer to him, enjoying the way he faltered just a tiny bit from the look on her face.

“Whatever you’re doing won’t interfere with Lydia’s education,” she intoned, her voice so deadly soft that even Betelgeuse chose not to argue. 

“Fine,” he sighed, rolling his eyes.

“And don’t think you’re going to be hanging out alone with her up here,” Adam added, his inner over-protective father coming to life. “We’ll be keeping an eye on you, Beetle.”

Betelgeuse snarled in frustration. “You act like I’m going to take advantage of her!” he spat, quite insulted. “I already told _Lydia,_ so I guess I’ll tell _you._ I’m not layin’ a _finger_ on her unless she begs me to.”

“Which I won’t,” Lydia added quickly, probably more for the Maitland’s benefit than for hers. 

Barbara and Adam looked at each other, trying to mentally communicate if they’d covered all the parental bases. They’d grown very close to Lydia over the past few months, especially since her actual parents were typically working or traveling. Hours had been spent helping the girl studying for tests and working on projects. Not just that, but Lydia often went to them for advise on just normal teenage things. The Maitlands were ready to fight even a poltergeist if he threatened to take her away from them.

“We’re still not happy about this,” Adam said at long last, glaring at Betelgeuse. “But as long as Lydia is comfortable with… whatever deal you’ve made, then we don’t really have a reason to try and stop it.”

“Yeah, ya _don’t,_ ” Betelgeuse agreed, baring his teeth. In the background Lydia couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Barbara suddenly got _very_ close in Betelgeuse’s face. She gave him a cold, hard poke in the chest, not unlike the one Lydia had delivered earlier. His poor chest would have been bruised if he’d had any blood left. “You _don’t_ hurt her,” she said softly, the threat evident in her voice. Betelgeuse knew of the wrath of dead mothers, and wisely chose not to provoke her. 

“Aw come on,” he bemoaned, trying to lighten the mood. “Why is no one worried about _me?_ What if she breaks my heart?”

The Maitlands ignored Betelgeuse, and their images began to flicker. Lydia knew this meant they were preparing to retire to the attic for the night. Barbara pressed a ghostly kiss into Lydia’s forehead, touching a cold hand to the girl’s cheek. “You okay?” she asked softly. Lydia knew she was really asking if the girl felt safe in Betelgeuse’s company.

She nodded. “Goodnight, Barbara,” she murmured.

Adam squeezed Lydia’s shoulder comfortingly, making sure to shoot Betelgeuse one final glare before he and Barbara disappeared. And just like that, he and Lydia were once again alone. 

Betelgeuse summoned a cigarette from thin air, flicking it to life with fire from his finger. He sucked in deeply, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke. “Jesus fuck. Wanna meet my parents now so we can be even?”  

Lydia positioned herself on the bed again, suddenly curious. “You have parents?” She realized this sounded silly. It was easy to forget that once, Betelgeuse had been a human being just like her. 

He was blowing smoke rings at Lydia’s ceiling. “A looong time ago I did. They’re beyond dead now.”

Lydia wondered what this meant exactly. She was aware of the Lost Souls room, but did ghosts eventually reach of a plane of existence where they ceased to exist? Tucking this question away for a different time, Lydia glanced over at the clock. _11:21 PM._ Her mouth parted in a yawn so wide it cracked her jaw.

“Thank god tomorrow’s a Saturday,” she mumbled, peeling off her socks and wandering towards her dresser to pull out her pajamas. 

Betelgeuse finished his cigarette before rolling onto his back on Lydia’s bed. He watched her pick out her pajamas. “What are ya doing tomorrow?” he asked suddenly.

Lydia fished out a pair of cotton shorts and an oversized T-shirt. She pressed the clothes against her chest, considering Betelgeuse’s question. “Um. Well I have homework. That’s about it.”

The poltergeist snapped his fingers. “I’m takin’ you out tomorrow.”

Despite the sleepiness tugging at Lydia’s mind, she was shrewd enough to decode the ghost’s implications. “You mean a date,” she said flatly.

Betelgeuse swung around on her bed. She noticed her seemed to have taken a liking to it. He’d spent a good portion of tonight lounging on it. His black-and-white suit paired nicely with her spider-print duvet. “Well I am _courting_ you, after all.”

The teenager rolled her eyes. She disappeared across the hall, switching on the bathroom light and half-closing the door. Betelgeuse heard her brushing her teeth, and when she emerged from the bathroom she was wearing the cotton shorts and the large T-shirt.

He noted that Lydia hadn’t been comfortable changing in front of him, but also that she hadn’t _completely_ closed the bathroom door to change. He absently wondered if this meant anything.

The ghost took in a few details from her room that left him quite charmed; a few permanent Halloween decorations (of course, it must have been her favorite holiday), weird sketches and grungy boy bands taped to her walls, and countless books arranged haphazardly around the room. The cutest detail Betelgeuse spotted was a little stuffed black cat, half-hidden by Lydia’s pillows. He summoned the stuffed animal into his hands, looking into the cat’s black button eyes. He remembered her earlier comment about being a cat person. 

“Who’s this?” he asked teasingly, waving the cat around.

Lydia jumped to action, scrambling onto the bed and trying to pull the cat out of Betelgeuse’s grip. When it became clear that Betelgeuse had the upper hand with his ability to dance out of her reach, she gave up and crossed her arms like a toddler.

“Tell me his name and I’ll give him back,” Betelgeuse said in a sing-song voice.

Lydia silently seethed for a moment. “Blackie,” she finally said.

Ever a ghost of his word, the stuffed animal returned to Lydia’s arms. “Blackie?” Betelgeuse snickered, still hovering by the ceiling so Lydia couldn’t smack him. “How creative.” 

Lydia crawled into bed and placed the stuffed cat next to her. She shot daggers up at her future husband. “I’ve had him since I was little,” she snapped. “Excuse me for not being a more creative three year-old.”

Betelgeuse didn’t like it, but he recognized the way he melted just a _tiny_ bit at the image of a three-year old Lydia, probably wearing a black onesie, running around with Blackie. Back then the cat must have been half as big as her. Now she gently tucked him in next to her, thirteen years later. 

“Do ghosts sleep?” Lydia asked him, sounding a little less annoyed with him.

Sensing that her wrath had temporarily passed, Betelgeuse lowered himself until he was just hovering above her sheets. “Nah. We can kind of turn off fer a while if we want to. But we don’t dream or nothin’.”

Betelgeuse settled into the uncomfortable arm chair a ways off from Lydia. Though a part of him wanted to curl up next to her, he recognized the lines that had been drawn. He was definitely not welcome in that bed while Lydia was sleeping in it. Good old Adam would probably have a ghost coronary. 

Betelgeuse switched off the lights without lifting a finger. The room was quiet for long enough that he thought Lydia had fallen asleep. He was startled to hear her sweet, soft voice from the darkness say, “And I accept, by the way.”           

He scratched at the moss on his chin. “Accept what?”

“Your date tomorrow,” she replied, voice muffled by the pillow and full of sleep. My goodness she sounded adorable. Betelgeuse closed his eyes, running a tired hand across his face. _God fucking damn it. This wasn’t going to be easy.  
_

“Sounds good, babes,” he murmured.   



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has kindly left kudos or reviews! It's been fun writing this and I'm happy to finally share it. A small note for this story, even though the movie came out in 1988 I'll include stuff like texting and Netflix in future chapters. I guess it's a bit of a blend between old and new!

When Lydia awoke the next morning, she was incredibly cold. She shuddered, wondering how she could be this cold with two blankets piled on top of her. She yawned and stretched, pulling herself into a sitting position on her bed. What she saw almost made her shriek, but then reality swiftly wiped away the muddled haze of her sleepy brain. 

Betelgeuse was sleeping in her purple armchair. Although, _sleeping_ really wasn’t the correct word to describe it. More or less, Betelgeuse looked like a dead corpse that had been dumped into her armchair. He wasn’t breathing, he wasn’t snoring, he was just… there, motionless. It was not exactly a lovely sight first thing in the morning. 

With his eyes closed, Betelgeuse’s shadowy sockets appeared even more skeletal. His mane of dirty blonde hair seemed a little less crazed at the moment, and Lydia found herself studying the way Betelgeuse’s chest broadened out into his shoulders. An unwarranted thought came to Lydia as she examined Betelgeuse’s chest. Did he have chest hair? The sudden image of a shirtless Betelgeuse popped into Lydia’s mind and she blanched. 

Though there was nothing really inappropriate wondering about Betelgeuse’s chest hair, there was something definitely intimate about it. She thought back to the only two other boys she’d ever seen shirtless–– Jack, who had been her first kiss, and the boy she’d brought back the other night, Percy. Neither of them had much hair on them except for a little stubble around their chins, and certainly no chest hair.

Betelgeuse was snapped back to reality by the sound of a shower roaring to life. He glanced around the unfamiliar room, feeling a little discombobulated before triangulating his location. _Lydia’s room?_ He had stayed all night.

A quick survey of the otherwise empty room brought Betelgeuse to the conclusion that his future bride was taking a shower. He stood up from the armchair, practically snapping every vertebra in his spine in order to realign himself. Jesus. If he ever spent the night here again he’d just sleep on the couch downstairs. 

He heard singing drifting from the bathroom. Betelgeuse was normally one to pry, but he felt a little sheepish about listening in on Lydia. Her voice carried, though, and he couldn’t help but be charmed by whatever tune she was carrying. All at once the water was snapped off, and a few second later Lydia peeked into her room.        

“Morning, babes,” Betelgeuse beamed.

Lydia frowned at him around the corner of her doorframe. Her hair had been towel-dried, and hung in damp curls around her soft neck. From this angle Betelgeuse could tell she was only wearing a towel. It took a great deal of self-control to not casually stroll up to his future bride and rip that towel right off of her. Or if he’d really wanted to, he could have simple flicked a finger and the towel would disappear altogether. 

“You need to leave,” she informed him. 

Betelgeuse balked. “What? Why?”

“I’m…” She shifted back and forth uneasily. “Indecent.” She nodded towards the dresser. “I forgot to bring a change of clothes into the bathroom.”

Betelgeuse’s lust towards her flickered at her obvious discomfort. He shook away the possessive thoughts, trying to remind himself of his mission here. _She’s won’t exactly trust you if you make that towel disappear, as much as you might like it you asshole.  
_

“Why didn’t you say so?” he chirped, lazily waving his hand in Lydia’s general direction. Before she knew what was happening, the towel had been replaced by a lovely pair of black leggings that looked like they had been spun from spider silk, and a short-sleeve shirt with a drawing of a cartoon beetle on it. While Lydia admired the leggings, she couldn’t help but raise a brow at the shirt.

“You can’t use me as an advertising board,” she said dryly, but Betelgeuse could tell she was amused.

“Maybe I’m just laying claim to what’s mine,” Betelgeuse suggested, grinning toothily at her. Before she had a chance to react the beetle was changed to a black cat, and this seemed to satisfy the teenager.

Betelgeuse once again lounged on Lydia’s bed while she dried her hair and lined her eyes with charcoal. They were relaxing in comfortable silence when the doorbell rang downstairs, and Barbara called up to Lydia.

“Lydia, someone’s here for you!”

At first Betelgeuse thought this was strange, but realized her actual parents must be out of town. Not for the first time, Betelgeuse internally raged in the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Deetz. He’d easily picked up on their lack of attention towards Lydia, and she never would have written that suicide note if they’d bothered to listen to her. 

Lydia hopped down the stairs while Betelgeuse wandered after her, wondering who was at the door. He was able to control who could and couldn’t see him, so for the moment he remained invisible behind Lydia while she pulled open the door. The poltergeist was immediately furious by what he saw.

A tall, skinny guy with a shock of blonde hair. The guy who had been making out with _his future wife_ just two nights ago. Several nasty ideas came to Betelgeuse in the fraction of a second that passed between the door opening and his recognition of the visitor, but he fought to control himself. Murdering Lydia’s pal probably wasn’t a great start to a successful courtship.

“Percy!” Lydia said, a little self-consciously. Betelgeuse smirked. She knew he was watching. 

Percy smiled awkwardly down at Lydia. He was far too tall for his age, and Betelgeuse could immediately tell that he wasn’t some popular jock. Not a bad-looking kid, but probably more at ease in front of a book or an old movie. _Probably exactly Lydia’s type,_ Betelgeuse thought darkly, grinding his teeth.

“Hi Lydia,” Percy replied. He held something out to her. “I wanted to, uh, give you this back. It was, uh, tangled up in my jacket…” The boy’s voice trailed off awkwardly. Lydia grabbed the item hastily and stuffed it into her pocket before Betelgeuse could see what it was. 

Percy cleared his throat. “Anyways. Um. How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Lydia said politely. In any other situation she would have offered to let Percy in, but she was all too aware of the cold breath on the back of her neck. Percy was definitely less in danger out on the front porch. 

“Sorry to drop in like this. I just wanted to, uh, let you know that there’s a party going on tonight. My brother’s having the party, but he said I could invite whoever. So obviously you’re invited.”

Lydia cringed at the thought of going to Percy’s brother’s party. While Percy was charmingly awkward and gangly, his older brother was a pretty popular basketball player. Lydia wasn’t much of a partier anyways, but the crowd that Percy’s brother hung out with used to be pretty cruel towards Lydia. She was pretty sure Percy didn’t remember this, though, otherwise he wouldn’t have mentioned it.

“Oh. Um, maybe. I have a lot of homework to do,” she said lamely, knowing that it wasn’t a good excuse. Not wanting Percy to think she didn’t want to hang out with him, she added, “It’s just that, um, your brother’s friends used to kind of be… mean.”

Realization dawned on Percy’s face moments before comical horror. “Oh my god. Um, shit. I’m sorry Lydia. I forgot. We totally don’t have to go.” Betelgeuse was not deaf to Percy’s use of _we_. As if it would be a given that he and Lydia would be going together to this party.

“No, it’s fine! They aren’t like that anymore. Um, I’ll think about it, okay? I’ll text you later.” 

Percy looked vaguely miserable. Lydia could tell that, in the boy’s mind, he’d planned some of this conversation out and it was not going according to plan at all. Lydia sighed. She and Percy had made out a couple times–– including the other night, which she felt guilty about because if she was being honest, she’d used Percy to get Betelgeuse’s attention.

She and Percy had been friends since she moved here, and even though she was pretty sure Percy was a bit too awkward to be a man in love, he was certainly fond of her. Their intense make-out the other night probably had made things a little muddier between them.

How exactly does one explain the situation Lydia now found herself in? _Sorry, I just needed to make out with you because my ex-fiancé has been spying on me and I needed to break him out of his silence. Oh and also he’s a ghost. Also we might be engaged again._    

Lydia sighed. They just didn’t cover these topics in the girly magazines she sometimes secretly read at the bookstore.

“Alright, well um. I’ll talk to you later.” Percy waved before heading back to his bike, which was currently leaning against a tree in the front yard.

Betelgeuse allowed himself one little trick; when Lydia closed the door, unbeknownst to her, Percy’s bike abruptly fell over right onto the boy’s big toe. He made a very unmanly sound and clutched at his foot. Betelgeuse grinned maliciously, quite pleased with himself.

The moment Lydia swept upstairs, she found herself face-to-face with the poltergeist. He was leaning against her doorframe, completely blocking her entrance into the room. Sometimes Lydia swore the ghost made himself appear taller when he was trying to intimidate her.

“What’s in your pocket, _dear_?” Betelgeuse asked, voice sickly sweet.

Lydia scowled up at him. She tried to shove him out of the way, but again was unable to budge him. He might have been dead, but Betelgeuse still maintained his strength. He folded his arms and made a dangerous face.

“How am _I_ supposed to trust _you_ if you don’t tell me things?” he asked pointedly.

Lydia considered this for a moment. Between the two of them, clearly it was Betelgeuse who needed to work for Lydia’s trust. But if she was being fair, it was Lydia who had broken their first deal–– not Betelgeuse. 

The truth was Lydia just didn’t want to deal with whatever theatrics Betelgeuse would pull if he knew what Percy had just handed her. Especially given his newfound entitlement towards Lydia, which she still vehemently rejected. 

“You’ll freak out,” she said, shaking her head.

“Come _on,”_ Betelgeuse complained. “I promise I won’t freak out.”

Lydia found that she enjoyed having something to dangle over Betelgeuse’s head. He truly didn’t know what she had in her pocket. If he’d wanted to, Betelgeuse could have just conjured the object from her pocket without Lydia’s permission. It occurred to her that the ghost must be keeping his powers in check around her.

Reluctantly she withdrew a dainty, black pair of panties from her pocket. Betelgeuse completely froze when his eyes settled on the underwear. They were one of Lydia’s favorite pairs, with black lace around the edges and a little black bow on the front. In the chaos of the other night they must have gotten mixed up in Percy’s clothes.

Abruptly, the underwear caught on fire. Lydia yelped, dropping them and watching in disbelief as they burned to a crisp before her eyes. She and Betelgeuse stared at the burnt spot on the carpet. 

“That was my favorite pair!” Lydia shouted, shoving Betelgeuse in the chest. He seemed a little distracted, which gave Lydia the upper hand and this time the ghost actually lost his balance. He grabbed her dresser in order to keep from completely wiping out. He straightened himself, and ever so slowly took a menacing step towards Lydia. She felt pinned to the spot by his eyes, a helpless rabbit ensnared by a snake.

Betelgeuse leaned in very close to Lydia. For an insane second, Lydia thought he was going to kiss her. But then the mood abruptly shifted, and Betelgeuse swallowed whatever he’d been about to say. 

“I’ll be back tonight for our date,” he said smoothly, not quite meeting Lydia’s eye. “Oh, and check your bottom drawer.”

Lydia blinked, still pinned to the same spot even after Betelgeuse had disappeared. She was beginning to think that she’d bit off more than she could chew with this poltergeist. His mood swings nearly knocked her off her feet. One moment he was cocky, the next angry, and then he was gone.  

Trying to gather her thoughts, Lydia shakily checked the bottom drawer of her dresser. She half expected to find snakes or something equally dastardly (even though she’d always wanted a pet snake), and was startled to find a beautiful piece of black cloth folded neatly on top of her jeans.

She pulled the fabric out, realizing with a flush that it was underwear. It must be a replacement pair for the ones that Betelgeuse had caught on fire. Lydia knew she should have been grossed out by this, but the material was breathtaking. It shimmered in the sunlight, and delicate black spiders had been embroidered along the edges. 

Lydia contemplated putting the underwear on, but decided that would just fortify whatever thoughts Betelgeuse might have towards her if she wore the underwear he’d summoned for her. So she tucked it away in her underwear drawer. _Some other time._  
           


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of Lydia’s day dragged. She finished all of her homework, and also got a head start on a project that wasn’t due for another two weeks. She ambled around the house, cleaning things that didn’t need to be cleaned and rearranging her mom’s horrifying sculptures because she knew it annoyed her. 

Betelgeuse had been very laissez-faire about the details of their so-called date night. She didn’t know what time he’d be back, what kind of outfit would be appropriate, or even the location. It was also entirely possible that he wouldn’t even show up, probably distracted by some dead woman in the Netherworld. 

Lydia decided that she’d wear something that could pass for a date night, but if Betelgeuse happened to not show up she could also wear it to Percy’s brother’s party. Though she didn’t really want to go, the idea of staying home tonight only for Betelgeuse to find her by her lonesome was too embarrassing. So she’d make sure to cover all her bases.

Towards the end of the day, Lydia began to study her wardrobe. She’d been on a few hang-outs with Percy and then Jack before him, but she couldn’t definitively say that she’d been asked on an official _date_ before. Thus, Lydia found herself a little lost on what to wear.

She eventually decided on a long black skirt with a little slit up the side of it, so it showed a reasonable portion of thigh that _just_ grazed the line between fashionable and flirtatious. She matched this with–– surprise surprise–– a black top that had little plastic jewels sewn into the shoulders.

Lydia never had much patience for make-up, but she always liked putting a little darkness around her eyes. She redrew the charcoal on her eyes and added a touch of mascara until her reflection’s eyelashes batted almost coquettishly. She strapped on a pair of dark boots, and then checked her phone.

It was close to seven. Her stomach was growling in frustration, but Lydia hadn’t wanted to eat too much in case Betelgeuse was planning on taking her to eat. She had group texts regarding a project, as well as a text from Percy letting her know that the party started at 8.

When the clock drew closer to 8, Lydia was starting to get frustrated. She was fairly certain that dates started before 8 o’ clock. Had something happened to Betelgeuse? Her earlier prediction that he’d get distracted by something–– or someone–– probably wasn’t too off the mark. 

Lydia didn’t like it, but she was annoyed by the thought of Betelgeuse with someone else. She lay no claim to the ghost, and in fact encouraged someone else to put up with his bullshit. But something about the thought of Betelgeuse calling someone else _babes_ sent cold prickles down Lydia’s spine.

That seemed to be the thought that pushed her into action. Lydia grabbed her wallet and keys, and texted Percy that she was on her way over. She’d been to Percy’s house before to practice for a presentation, and she was pretty sure she could remember the route. It wasn’t too far from her house.

Barbara and Adam told her to be careful and have fun, and with that she was out the door. After the turmoil caused by Betelgeuse several months ago, and the fact that Lydia’s parents had gone into shock during the wedding and pretty much did nothing, Lydia’s dad bought her a car. It stank of guilt for almost letting his daughter get married off to a poltergeist, _but_ a car was a car. And it wasn’t just any car.

It was a jet-black 1988 Volkswagen Beetle. Lydia adored that car, and had decorated the insides with little plastic skulls and funky fabric. A few of her favorite Polaroids were taped to the roof. Barbara and Adam had been a little nervous when she started driving, but Lydia always made sure to drive carefully on bridges surrounded by water. And if a dog ever jumped into her path, she just had to bite the bullet and hit the dog. The Maitlands had unfortunately learned that lesson too late.

Lydia jumped into the driver’s seat, and with the key in the ignition the radio blazed to life. She rolled down the windows and sang along to the radio, sweeping through the darkening roads of her town until coming towards a vaguely familiar suburban area.

It was hard telling any of the houses apart, but once she saw the cars piled outside of a certain house there was no denying who it belonged to. The amount of teenagers milling about the front yard coupled with the music coming from the garage confirmed that Lydia had come to the right place.

She parked her car and studied the scene. She felt that familiar twist of unease in her stomach whenever encountered with a social situation. Lydia had made friends at school, but deep down she was an introvert who preferred books to parties. But tonight Lydia was a woman scorned; Betelgeuse had probably just used her to break out of the Netherworld, and was now fucking some blonde on the beach in Jamaica. 

This thought made Lydia so mad that she almost saw red. _Well if he’s going to fuck around, then so am I._ Her social anxiety temporarily forgotten, Lydia sent Percy a text that she had arrived and marched straight towards the buzzing house. She found Percy in the backyard, hanging out with a few people around a bonfire.

“Lydia Deetz!” Percy declared, practically squashing her in a bear hug. It was pretty clear that Percy was not sober. 

“Hey, Percy,” she laughed, waving at the other people around the bonfire. She recognized a few of them from school, a nerdy but friendly crowd.

“Want a drink?” he offered.

At first Lydia was going to politely decline, but that same image of Betelgeuse banging some blonde changed her tune. “Yes please. Something strong.”

Percy led her through throngs of people and into the house, where she caught a glance of Percy’s older brother, Benjamin, and his girlfriend Odessa. Odessa shot Lydia a nasty look over Benjamin’s shoulder, but Percy steered her into the kitchen. There was more alcohol than Lydia had ever seen. Her eyes widened. “Your parents are cool with you guys doing this?” 

Percy grabbed a few drinks and mixed them together for her. He shook his head. “Well, uh. People don’t really know this yet. But my parents are getting divorced. So… right now they don’t really give a shit what we do.”

Lydia suddenly felt even worse for using Percy a few nights ago. He was clearly going through some personal stuff, and she hadn’t even picked up on it. “I’m sorry,” she said softly when Percy handed her the drink. It smelled like rum. “My parents don’t really get along, either,” she offered sheepishly.

Percy shrugged, clearly not wanting to dwell on his parent’s drama. “It is what is it. Let’s get back to everyone else.”

The party was actually a lot of fun. Lydia stayed close to Percy most of the night, since she didn’t really know anyone else. She recognized a lot of people from their classes, and the addition of alcohol made a lot of people super friendly towards her. Most of them were too trashed to even recognize her. 

At first the rum burned her stomach just tasting it, but after the first few gulps the pain felt sweet. Lydia’s parents had let her drink wine a few times and she’d stolen a beer or two, but she’d never been properly drunk so she didn’t know her limits. Whenever someone offered her a drink she automatically accepted, ignoring the way the bonfire was starting to spin and she couldn’t stop laughing. Honestly it felt good to laugh, even if she was drunk.

As the night went on, Lydia wasn’t entirely sure how it happened but she found her fingers entwined with Percy’s. There was nothing nefarious about it, and when they sat down to talk he gently tugged Lydia into his lap.

Percy was deeply engaged in conversation with someone about the plot of some sci-fi book, and Lydia was only half listening. It suddenly occurred to her that Percy was wearing the same cologne they’d been wearing the other night when they’d made out. Somewhere in the back of Lydia’s alcohol-addled brain, she thought maybe he’d worn it again because he knew she liked it. She vaguely remembered complimenting him on it. 

It was such a subtle and sweet thing to do. Maybe this was what she should be focusing on. Even if Percy was a little gangly, a little too awkward, maybe she should try to be a normal girl for once. She could see it now; ice-cream dates, meeting the parents, making out at the movies. It was what girls her age were _supposed_ to do, right? 

If that was true, then why wasn’t she making a move on Percy? He was a perfectly fine guy, polite and smart and sweet. Lydia knew where this line of thought was headed, but it didn’t go off the rails because there came a loud clatter behind them.

Everyone craned their necks to see several plastic lawn chairs being tossed through the air. People were shouting, and then suddenly the music was cut short. Percy stood up, nudging Lydia behind him. “It looks like there’s a fight breaking out,” one of his buddies said.

In the midst of the sudden excitement, someone stalked towards the bonfire. He was tall, with broad shoulders and closely cropped brown hair. Lydia hurriedly tried to place him, but she didn’t recognize him. He appeared to be making a beeline for Percy, who by this point had sobered up a bit.

“Hey man, uh­­––”        

_"Move,_ ” the young man hissed, his voice violently shaking with barely-contained rage. Even in Lydia’s alcohol-drenched state, the rough voice stirred something in her. Percy was shoved aside and suddenly the stranger was standing in front of Lydia, glowering down at her through furious green eyes.

“We’re leaving,” he growled.

Lydia reeled from shock. _Betelgeuse._ He had changed forms to appear as a human, but those green eyes were unmistakable.

“What–– what are you doing here?” she stammered, hating how her words slurred. The rum in her stomach started to churn. She had seen Betelgeuse unhinged in his snake form, and she had seen him at his craziest while tormenting her parent’s friends. But she had _never_ seen this kind of unbridled rage in him before.

“You need to come home. You’re out past curfew,” Betelgeuse snarled softly. She could tell that the poltergeist was about three seconds away from setting fire to the entire neighborhood, but somewhere in her drunken stupor she was furious at him for standing her up.

She lashed out, shoving him in the chest. Everyone’s eyes were glued to Lydia; for those of them that knew her, she was always quiet and fairly docile. They’d never seen an outburst from her before.

“Um, who are you?” Percy managed to ask, even though Lydia could tell he was nervous. Betelgeuse _slowly_ turned his head towards Percy, almost owl-like but with the violent precision of a predator about to rip his prey into shreds. 

“I’m her ride home,” Betelgeuse hissed through bared teeth. 

“It doesn’t seem like she wants to go with you,” Percy said again, trying to have Lydia’s best interests at heart. It was a very admirable effort, but Lydia was pretty sure if Percy said one more word he’d get his head blown off.

“We’re leaving. Lydia let’s go.” Betelgeuse swung around and stalked away, making it very clear that Lydia was to follow. She was furious with him for so many reasons, the least of which being that he was currently treating her like a child. The back of Betelgeuse’s head suddenly received a light _whack_ from an empty beer can.

The crowd had gone deadly silent. A few people were actually open-mouthed. Absolutely no one had any idea who this person was, but in the few minutes he’d been on the scene they were pretty alarmed by him. And Lydia fucking _Deetz_ had just whipped a beer can at the back of his head.

Betelgeuse stopped dead in his tracks. His shoulders tightened, and Lydia couldn’t help but feel a smidge of satisfaction that she’d put him in his place in front of a bunch of humans. She knew that at this point Betelgeuse might even murder _her,_ but she was pretty sure it was worth it. He had _stood her up_ and been God knows where. He had absolutely no fucking right showing up at a party where she was having _fun_ for a change, and trying to escort her out like she was his property.

The bonfire suddenly knocked over, and though the grass wasn’t dry everything immediately sparked to flame. People started yelling and running; absolute chaos broke out as flames spread around the yard like wild animals. Percy tried to grab Lydia to help her, but Betelgeuse materialized in front of them.

Without warning, he punched Percy _hard._ Lydia cried out when Percy crumpled to the ground, but the dancing flames did not touch him. In fact, the flames didn’t touch anyone. They just seemed to be a very successful scare tactic. 

Betelgeuse grabbed Lydia, and a violent gust of wind ripped around them. When Lydia opened her eyes, they were in her bedroom. She immediately ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet. When she finally emerged from the bathroom, her makeup had been washed off, and teeth had somehow been brushed.

Betelgeuse had transformed back to his original self. He was sitting on her bed, arms  crossed, looking pretty pissed off.

“I think it’s pretty funny,” he said, in a deadly soft voice, “how _you_ were thinking _I’d_ fuck around on you. When I show up at this party and I see my _future fucking wife sitting in some asshole’s lap._ ”

Lydia had never been frightened of Betelgeuse before, but something was different now. There was absolutely no hint of humor in Betelgeuse’s expression or body language. He was fucking _livid._ Lydia was never one to cry, but in her drunken state she couldn’t hold back the tears that blotted her vision. 

“You stood me up!” she exclaimed. “I thought you’d just used me to get out, and you were fucking some bimbo in Jamaica.”

Betelgeuse stood up quickly, looking ready to strike like a snake. “I didn’t stand you up!” he spat. “I was coming to pick you up and you were gone! Fucking _Adam_ told me you’d gone to that asshat’s party.”

“Would you stop insulting Percy?” Lydia choked out. “You set his yard on fire! And you knocked him out!”

“Him and all of his guests are tucked safely in their beds at home. The fire was just a trick, and tomorrow they won’t remember a fucking thing.” Betelgeuse rounded on her, his eyes blazing. “And why do you care so much about him?”

“At least he doesn’t stand me up!” 

“Lydia, I was literally coming to pick you up.”

“You didn’t even tell me a time you were coming! You didn’t tell me _anything!_ ”

Betelgeuse snarled in frustration, running a hand through his tangled hair. He whipped away and paced back and forth in front of her mirror. For a drunken moment Lydia considered sending him back into the mirror, but she didn’t have long to contemplate this because she was suddenly angry all over again.

“And where _were_ you, anyways? Probably at another brothel,” Lydia scoffed.         

Something in that sentence made Betelgeuse snap. He reached for Lydia, pulling her closer to him and closing his mouth over hers. Lydia froze, feeling Betelgeuse deepen the kiss and run his hands through her hair. Maybe it was because she wasn’t sober, but Lydia closed her eyes and kissed him back. 

Betelgeuse dragged her over to the bed, where he tucked her beneath him and kept kissing her deeply. Lydia’s mind was reeling, but one thing that cut through the alcohol was _he’s a good kisser holy shit.  
_

It was Betelgeuse who finally broke the kiss. Both of them were breathing heavily, even though technically the ghost didn’t need oxygen. Their lips were still so close that Lydia could have tilted her face up and kept kissing him.   

“How do you not see, Lydia,” Betelgeuse asked huskily, his lips bitten and swollen from her kisses. None of what was happening made any sense, and it didn’t help that she wasn’t sober. Maybe she wouldn’t even remember this in the morning. _But I want to remember this_.

Betelgeuse stood up from the bed then, and the lights turned off. The room was still spinning, but something lurched in Lydia’s chest when she realized Betelgeuse was about to leave. She sat up too fast, and the motion got the ghost’s attention.

“Stay,” she pleaded. She told herself it was just because she was drunk, and that she didn’t want to think about it. Betelgeuse had only been back in her life for three days, and already he was wreaking havoc. Only this time it was a different type of havoc.

Betelgeuse collapsed once again into the purple armchair, staring silently at the wall. The hot tension in the room could have been sliced with a knife.

Lydia eventually succumbed to sleep. Her dreams were filled with snakes that curled around her toes, whispering, “ _How do you not see. How do you not see.”_  
              
              
              



	7. Chapter 7

Barbara came to check on Lydia in the morning, only to find Betelgeuse sitting in the armchair appearing lost in thought. He turned towards her and grunted in lieu of a greeting. Barbara had brought some medicine for the hangover Lydia was sure to have, as well as some food for when she woke up.

“Thanks, Babs,” Betelgeuse said wearily, his voice barely above a mutter. He was too exhausted at the moment to summon any kind of wit that Barbara surely was expecting out of him. She closed the door behind her, probably to go upstairs and worry about Lydia with Adam. 

Betelgeuse was bone-tired, but he hadn’t turned off a wink last night. He sat in the armchair, watching his future bride sleep peacefully. He kept replaying last night in his head, trying to gauge where he stood with Lydia when she finally woke up. 

Betelgeuse had almost frightened himself last night with how angry he was. He wasn’t really angry at anyone specifically–– even Percy, who had just been trying to protect Lydia. Of course Betelgeuse hadn’t been too happy about seeing Lydia sitting in that–– _guy’s_ lap (he was going to try to stop cussing so much about Lydia’s friends). 

Betelgeuse breathed out, something he didn’t need to do but sometimes was just a habit. Especially when he was frustrated. _Fucking eat your heart out Juno. I bet you’re loving this._

It had annoyed Betelgeuse to see her with another boy, but he could handle that because to be fair he had no _real_ claim to her. But it really had done damage to whatever was left of Betelgeuse’s black, moldy heart when Lydia had admitted she thought he’d _used_ her, and was banging international women.

His little future bride needed to know _exactly_ what his intentions were. Perhaps it was because Betelgeuse was more accustomed to the, ah, _physical_ aspects of dating that he was rusty when it came to that emotional stuff. But after last night, and that fucking _kiss,_ Betelgeuse had to be honest with himself. He was starting to grow attached to Lydia–– well, okay if he was being _really_ honest, he’d been attached to her for a while now. 

Betelgeuse planned on apologizing to her today for the kiss, as hot as it had been. He knew he’d probably pushed her too far, and would respect her wishes if she didn’t want him to touch her again. But he couldn’t forget the pain on her face when she had assumed he’d just been at a _brothel_ all day.

After proposing to Lydia Deetz, Betelgeuse’s lust and ache for her could never be slaked by anyone else; and after that kiss, there was no way in hell he was going to waste time kissing any subpar women. 

A few hours later, Lydia started to stir in her bed. The muscles in Betelgeuse’s back tensed; he had no idea if Lydia was going to send him back to the mirror. He could only pray that somehow the kiss had straightened things out between them, even if only for today.

Lydia groaned and sat up. Betelgeuse had to bite back a smile at the way her hair was standing up crazily. She’d wiped off most of her makeup last night, but her eyes were still dusted with black. She saw Betelgeuse in the armchair, and events from last night came back to her in pieces.

“Hi,” she said.

“Morning,” he replied, probably in the most normal voice he’d ever used with her. 

He flicked the medicine and food in her direction, as well as a glass of water. She gratefully took the water and medicine, but curled her nose at the food. “I don’t think I can keep anything down at the moment,” she admitted.

Betelgeuse was relieved that, at least for now, she wasn’t banishing him. “Your first time being drunk?” he guessed, even though he knew the answer.

Lydia nodded. She was looking at him curiously, making Betelgeuse feel a little hot under her gaze. He was pretty sure the way she was looking at him confirmed that she _did_ in fact remember the kiss from last night. 

“I’m sorry I was with another guy,” she said softly, so quietly that the poltergeist almost didn’t hear her. He materialized on the foot of her bed, recognizing that it was his turn to apologize. It was so strange. Never in his life–– or death–– had Betelgeuse worried himself about apologizing. But if apologizing to Lydia meant he could continue whatever the fuck they were doing, then he’d do it a thousand times over.

“I’m sorry I didn’t pick you up sooner,” he rasped. He cleared his throat, hating how awkward this shit made him feel. It was a good thing no one else could see them right now–– even though Barbara and Adam were probably eavesdropping. “Also sorry about the, uh, kiss.”

Normally Lydia would have been surprised by garnering not one, but _two_ apologizes out of the Ghost with the Most. But last night, something had shifted between them. She hadn’t figured it out yet, but it felt like they’d leveled the playing field.

She’d seen Betelgeuse at his absolute worst, and he had seen her drunk. Then they had made out–– and not just him kissing her, but _both_ of them participating in the kiss. A little thrill went through her at the memory of how good of a kisser he was.

So instead of being surprised or blushing at the mention of their kiss, Lydia did something very odd. She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself, before scooting closer to Betelgeuse on the bed. The poltergeist gazed down at her in confusion, simply waiting for her to say something.

Instead of saying anything, Lydia gently placed her hands on Betelgeuse’s chest, closed her eyes, and kissed him. She’d never had the gall to initiate a kiss before, but she didn’t want Betelgeuse to think he’d frightened her. It was a quick, chaste kiss compared to the one last night, but when she pulled away Betelgeuse looked a little dazed.

Even though they hadn’t verbally forgiven each other, Lydia’s brave little kiss had said more than an entire conversation. Betelgeuse gave her one of his Jack-O’-Lantern smiles, the kind that Lydia somehow knew were only reserved for her, and some of his swagger seemed to return. 

Betelgeuse stretched luxuriously on the bed. “Alright babes. Enough chit chat. I gotta go take care of a few things, but I’ll be back at _five_ on the dot for our, ah, make-up date, shall we call it?”

Lydia nodded, running her fingers through the impossible tangles in her hair. 

Without warning Betelgeuse was on top of her, both of his arms trapping her beneath him. His eyes were sparkling viciously. He lowered his face to her neck, causing Lydia’s pulse to drum quickly in her throat.

He snarled velvety soft into her ear, “And I better not catch you in another man’s lap.”

With that, Betelgeuse vanished.  
                                                        


	8. Chapter 8

As promised, the electricity shuddered a bit in Lydia’s room around five o’ clock. She glanced around at the lights, rolling her eyes. For her first official date with the Ghost with the Most, Lydia had decided on a knee-length black jean skirt paired with a tight black top that dipped seductively down her back. She chose a pair of her stepmother’s reflective black heels, and was currently evaluating herself in the mirror.

One final touch. Lydia opened her jewelry box and withdrew a black choker which she draped around her throat. A little black heart charm dangled from the front, with a little _L_ carved into the front. Before closing the jewelry box, Lydia’s eyes fell on Betelgeuse’s wedding ring. Even though she’d chucked it across the room a few nights ago, he must have put it back in the jewelry box.

For a reason even Lydia couldn’t put into words, she slipped it onto her ringer finger. She observed the ring, wondering how she felt about its presence on her third finger. It was a fairly simple ring, nothing more than a gold band. She was absently tugging at it when someone knocked on her bedroom door.

“Barbara?” Lydia called. When there came no response, she frowned. With each step she took towards the door, the chills running down her spine grew colder. She threw open the door, revealing the Ghost with the Most leaning lazily against her doorframe.

Lydia stood very still while Betelgeuse unabashedly swiped his eyes up and down her body. His green eyes burned intensely when she sheepishly glanced up at him. It was silly, but since this was her first official date with anyone, Lydia waited for some kind of approval that she’d chosen the right clothes, the right hair style.

Betelgeuse took a dangerous step closer to her, running his tongue along the bottom of his teeth. “ _You,_ ” he said slowly, each word popping off his tongue. “Look good enough to eat.” Lydia didn’t budge, feeling the familiar blush creep its way up her neck. She was all too aware of the implications of Betelgeuse’s sentence.

Betelgeuse’s hand reached out and found hers, tugging her towards him. He shook his head, clucking his tongue. “No no, this simply won’t do,” he said, evaluating her. Lydia had barely opened her mouth to protest when the poltergeist continued. “I can’t take you out like this. Everyone will be _starin’_ at you and I don’t approve of that.”

Lydia’s protests were silenced. She knew Betelgeuse was complimenting her, and since she wasn’t used to that kind of attention she had no idea what to say. She dropped her hand from Betelgeuse’s, shyly smoothing out her skirt.

“Well then,” she said under the base of her eyelashes, “just take me somewhere private.”

Betelgeuse didn’t respond. Lydia glanced up at him, finding his eyes fixated on her left hand. Lydia’s eyes followed his and her cheeks burned when she remembered. _The wedding ring._ She’d put it on, meaning to take it off before the Beetle had arrived, but had completely forgotten about it until now.

Betelgeuse swallowed hard. From the moment Lydia had opened the door and he’d laid eyes on her, it had been a constant struggle not to sweep her into his arms and fuck her into oblivion on her bed. But the sight of her wearing the _wedding ring_ he’d given her–– it was enough to push the poltergeist over the edge. He struggled for words, suddenly _very_ turned on at the thought of Lydia being his legal property and with a ring to show for it.

“Sorry,” Lydia said quickly, moving as if to take the ring off. Betelgeuse caught her wrist, stopping her from doing so. When Lydia looked back at her hand, she gasped; the gold band was gone, replaced by a thin gold ring with a circular blood-red stone in the middle. Smaller diamonds encrusted the edges of the scarlet stone, shimmering like ethereal gems.  

“That’s better,” Betelgeuse said roughly. He didn’t want Lydia running around with some dead whore’s ring on her finger. No, that would not do at _all._ His future bride deserved the kind of ring that sat upon the finger of a regal Queen.

He all but sank to the floor in front of her at the thought of his Lydia crowned the Queen of Darkness, reigning over the Netherworld with the Ghost with the Most heeding to her every whim like a lovesick puppy. 

“Betelgeuse,” Lydia said softly. The fine hairs on the nape of Betelgeuse’s neck stood on end from the way she said his name. He knew he should have told her to be careful about saying it, but the ghost realized he was almost _addicted_ to the way she said his name. It made his old dead heart twitch in his chest.

“This is too much…” she said slowly, even though the poltergeist could tell she didn’t want to take the ring off. 

“Nonsense.” Betelgeuse held out his crooked arm for her, where Lydia curled her small hand over his upper arm. The ring glinted in between them. Lydia gasped when Betelgeuse conjured both of them from her bedroom door to the front porch, where a familiar black Beetle awaited them like a gothic carriage.

“I like your choice of car, babes,” Betelgeuse said, winking at her. He opened the door for her, and it only took Lydia a second to connect the dots.

Once they were settled into her car, Lydia flashed him a hot glare. “I didn’t choose this car because of _you_ ,” she said stoutly, folding her arms across her chest. 

Betelgeuse flicked his hand, readjusting the seat and the steering wheel to accommodate his much larger form. He played around with the rearview mirror until satisfied. “Whatever you say, cupcake,” he said cheekily, running his fingers over the black steering wheel. Despite not having keys to the car, the engine purred to life under his hand.

Lydia somehow sensed that the car was moving of its own accord, but Betelgeuse kept his hands on the wheel–– probably in an attempt to not alarm her. They listened to the radio while the poltergeist steered the car through the winding roads of the sprawling countryside. 

Lydia chanced a glance over at the ghost. He drove casually with his left hand gripping the wheel, the other resting leisurely on the armrest between them. For once, he wasn’t wearing the notorious black-and-white suit. For their date he boasted a pair of black dress pants that were paired with a black jacket, and a red vest underneath. His affinity for stripes was found in his bowtie, which was vertically striped black and red.

It even seemed that Betelgeuse had attempted to comb his hair into submission, though with the windows down it was returning to its normal craze. With a jolt low in her abdomen, Lydia thought that the poltergeist looked rather handsome. He certainly wasn’t classically good-looking, but something about his hooded eyes and three-piece vest did something to Lydia’s knees.

“See something ya like babes?” Betelgeuse drawled, not taking his eyes off the road.

Lydia looked away quickly. She’d been caught. “ _No_ ,” she said firmly, but they both knew it was a lie. It occurred to Lydia that even though Betelgeuse had showered her with compliments earlier, she hadn’t said anything about his appearance. And he had clearly put an effort into dressing nicely for her.

“I like your bowtie,” she said at last. She absently wondered how long it had been since Betelgeuse had even been paid a compliment.

Betelgeuse glanced over at her, grinning. The bowtie danced a little under her compliment. Lydia couldn’t help but giggle. “Is that _all_ you like, babes?” Betelgeuse inquired, waggling his brows at her. There was something decidedly sinister in the way he said this.

Lydia felt a little caught off guard. She ripped her eyes away from his and forced herself to look out the window. “Yup,” she retorted, resolving not to look at him for the rest of the drive. Betelgeuse chuckled to himself but didn’t push her any further.  



	9. Chapter 9

Their destination turned out to be twisted high in the forest, farther than Lydia had ever gone before. The road had ended a long time ago but Betelgeuse nimbly drove the car through swatches of trees until they broke through the foliage. Lydia’s jaw dropped.

They were on a rocky overlook that swept over the entire town. Lydia got out of the car, stumbling over the grass and coming up short at the rocky precipice. Far away she could see pinpricks of lights where houses were, and the little cars looked like ants from her vantage point. In the far distance beyond the town she could see rolling hills that stretched towards the burning sunset. It was absolutely stunning. 

“I had no idea this was up here,” Lydia breathed, feeling the wind gently caress her neck.

“Well this spot isn’t exactly easy to reach for humans,” Betelgeuse said with a sly smile once they were at a reasonable distance from the edge.

Lydia glanced up at him. He’d taken off the jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his button up so swatches of his forearms were visible. Lydia pretended not to notice the way his biceps stretched out the fabric of his upper arms. Betelgeuse had a bit of a beer belly, but it was clear from his strong shoulders and thick arms that he could do some damage. 

Betelgeuse was looking at her too, but Lydia fought off the feelings of embarrassment for being caught staring at him again. The way he was looking at her, uncharacteristically serious and quiet, made Lydia feel breathless and it had nothing to do with the higher elevation. 

Even though Lydia had locked her trunk, Betelgeuse waved it open and fished out a picnic basket as well as a bottle of aged red wine. A luxurious blanket appeared on the grass before Lydia’s very eyes, where Betelgeuse settled down with the food and alcohol. The way Betelgeuse just conjured items out of thin air was still something Lydia had trouble wrapping her mind around. To him it was old news, but Lydia couldn’t imagine having anything she wanted just at the snap of a finger. 

Lydia sat on the opposite end of the blanket, careful to leave distance between them. She curiously opened up the basket while the poltergeist poured them glasses of wine. She found bread, cheese, shiny red grapes, and a rectangle of dark chocolate wrapped up in the shape of a bat. Lydia popped a grape into her mouth, chewing and gazing out at the burning horizon.

“Are there sunsets in your world?” Lydia asked curiously.

Betelgeuse had stretched out on the blanket, his arms folded behind his head. “Sure. If you ever come over to my place, I’ll show ya.”

Lydia was grateful that Betelgeuse wasn’t watching her, or else he would have seen the way her eyes widened at the thought of being at _his place._ It was a vaguely suggestive thought, the two of them alone at whatever place Betelgeuse called home. She _was_ a little curious about what his house looked like.       

They stayed like that for hours; Lydia asking him questions about his world or Betelgeuse asking Lydia questions about herself. Sometimes he teasingly would ask her an inappropriate question that would result in a grape being chucked at the ghost’s head. But for the most part it was a very relaxed evening. They stayed out so late that the stars began decorating the sky.

With the darkness came chilly winds, and Betelgeuse ended up grabbing his jacket from the car and draping it around Lydia. Lydia bit her lip, watching the way Betelgeuse settled back into his spot on the opposite side of the blanket. She couldn’t help but appreciate the fact that Betelgeuse was holding to his promise; he wouldn’t touch her unless she wanted him to. 

Lydia closed her eyes, summoning every inch of courage she had, and crawled across the blanket until she was next to the poltergeist. He stayed very still, uncertainly opening his arm for her when she drew close. Lydia settled down on the ghost’s chest, feeling his cold arm wrap itself around her.

Gently, Betelgeuse tucked his arm beneath Lydia’s thigh and dragged her on top of him. She squeaked a little, but otherwise didn’t protest. They lay like that for a moment, Lydia curled up on the ghost’s chest with his jacket draped over both of them. Lydia’s face was tucked neatly in the hollow of Betelgeuse’s neck, where she breathed in the familiar scent of earth and grass.

Betelgeuse ran his hands softly up and down her thighs, gazing up at the stars. Lydia shuddered beneath his touch; Percy was the only boy who had ever grazed her thighs, but it felt completely different with the poltergeist. His hands were large and strong, and the way he stroked her was almost affectionate. Something tightened in Lydia’s chest.

She shifted until she was looking down at Betelgeuse. He blinked at her, staying quiet for once, but his hands stopped on her thighs.

“Yer too sweet to me,” the poltergeist rumbled.

Lydia was taken aback by this. She wasn’t exactly sure what Betelgeuse meant. If anything, during the past few days they’d done nothing but argue and she’d thrown quite a few objects at his head. But Lydia was pretty sure she knew what he was really saying.

“I’m not sweet to you,” she muttered. “I threw a beer can at you last night.”

Betelgeuse popped his hips playfully, sending Lydia scrambling to maintain her balance. He cackled in amusement. “Yer an aggressive drunk,” he agreed. Betelgeuse checked one of the three watches on his left wrist, growling at the time. Lydia had school tomorrow, and it was one of Barbara’s rules that his courtship didn’t interfere with classes.

Lydia knew that Betelgeuse was about to pack up their picnic and take her home. She didn’t want to go back to the house, where she would be met with questions by Barbara and Adam, and her parents would be coming home soon. She wanted to avoid reality for a little bit longer, and stay out here with Betelgeuse and the stars.

So she dipped down and closed her eyes, kissing Betelgeuse. The ghost remained rigid beneath her, his grip on her thighs tightening. Lydia wondered if she’d made a mistake and broke the kiss, peering down at him.

“C’mere,” he grunted, grabbing her neck and tugging her back down towards him. This time Betelgeuse didn’t let her go; he teased open her mouth and searched her tongue with his own. Lydia gently bit down on his bottom lip, drawing a lengthy groan from Betelgeuse that rumbled beneath her. She liked being able to draw these sounds from the Ghost with the Most; it gave her a rare sense of power over him. 

He grabbed her thighs, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. His hands played with the torturous skin where the backs of her thighs swelled into her ass, before sliding up her waist and digging into her back. 

Lydia had never been kissed this way before, and she couldn’t help but compare it to the boys she had kissed. Betelgeuse was infinitely more experienced, and the way he carefully explored her body fanned the smoldering flames in her lower stomach. She knew Betelgeuse was controlling himself, as he hadn’t ventured too far north or south yet.  

Lydia realized that even though Betelgeuse was mapping her out, her own hands remained static. She took this opportunity to run her hands down his chest, over his shoulders and digging into his biceps when he kissed her just right. He broke away from her lips and licked the length of her throat, causing Lydia to gasp. 

In one smooth motion, Lydia was on her back and Betelgeuse was on her. He deftly wedged his thigh between hers, growling while he nipped his way down her neck. Lydia closed her eyes, dizzied from his affections. He found a delicate spot on her neck that caused the girl to squirm beneath him. He worked the spot, biting her gently and sucking on her skin until she gasped out his name.

The effect this had on Betelgeuse was overwhelming. The moment he heard his name tumble from her lips, he snarled and was attacking her mouth with his. Lydia could feel the heat between them, and was suddenly aware that her skirt had hiked its way up her thighs until her underwear was practically visible. She jerked away suddenly, breaking the kiss.

Betelgeuse sensed her sudden change of mood, and studied her carefully. “Was that okay?” he asked roughly, hoping he hadn’t pushed her too far.

Lydia couldn’t quite explain what had jolted through her. She’d felt her skirt slowly hiking up, and couldn’t help but feel like a deer in the headlights. And if she was being really honest with herself, a little voice had asked her if this was all the poltergeist wanted from her.

She pushed the hair back from her forehead, frustrated with herself. She still didn’t know if she could even trust Betelgeuse, but here she was getting all hot and bothered over him. She needed to establish ground rules for herself, starting tonight.

“I–– I think I should go home,” Lydia breathed, not quite making eye contact with the ghost.

He nudged her chin up, forcing her to look at him. “What’s wrong, babes?”

“It’s just…” She bit her lip. “I don’t know if I’m ready for…” Her voice trailed off, but they both knew what she was leading towards. Betelgeuse leaned backwards, growling in frustration with himself. If he ever wanted this girl to trust him, let _alone_ become his wife, he was going to have to exercise some self-control. 

“Ya know that’s not what ‘m after, babes,” the poltergeist rumbled. That was it. He could see it all over the girl’s face. Betelgeuse tore at the grass with his fingers, cursing himself for being so stupid. Of _course_ she thought he just wanted a quick lay. He couldn’t exactly blame her; his reputation as a womanizer proceeded him.

“I know,” Lydia eventually replied in a small voice.

Betelgeuse gazed over at the girl, once again getting that overwhelming feeling that he was in too deep. He was no good with any of this stuff, but he needed Lydia to know that she wasn’t like the other dead whores he used to fool around with. She was… well fuck. She was the woman he was going to marry.

“Ya wanna know a secret?” Betelgeuse asked, trying to soften his voice for her.

Lydia cringed a little bit, expecting a vulgar answer. Once again Betelgeuse had to curse himself. “What’s that?” she asked quietly.

Her eyes had fallen back to the blanket. This time Betelgeuse cupped his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up, and carefully ran one finger down her jaw. “If ya marry me… it wouldn’t jus’ be a marriage of convenience.” 

He didn’t miss the way Lydia’s cheeks went pink. She abruptly stood up, and Betelgeuse followed suit. “It’s a school night,” she said swiftly, her voice firmer now. Betelgeuse’s muscles relaxed for the moment; even if Lydia still didn’t completely trust him, his honesty had chipped away just the tiniest bit at her preconceived notions about him. 

“Got it, babes,” Betelgeuse swiped his hand in the direction of their picnic. The basket and blanket vanished, and they returned to Lydia’s car. She fell asleep on the way home, and the ghost didn’t have the heart to jostle her awake once they got to the Deetz residence. That was how the Ghost with the Most ended up tugging the girl into his arms and carrying her to her room.  

When he pulled her from the car, Lydia shifted sleepily and wrapped her arms around his neck. He briefly screwed his eyes shut, once again reflecting on how royally fucked he was. Her arms stayed there until Betelgeuse placed the girl in her bed and reluctantly broke away from her sleepy embrace. 


	10. Chapter 10

To Betelgeuse’s credit, he mostly left her alone when she was busy with classes. When Lydia woke up the morning after their date, the poltergeist was nowhere to be seen. She didn’t have much time to dwell on him, however, as Monday launched her back into the reality of being a high schooler; packing her lunch, studying for upcoming exams, reading books for class. 

Just as Betelgeuse had promised, no one from Percy’s brother’s party remembered the fire or the ghost himself. Percy cheerfully greeted Lydia, asking if she’d had fun at the party. Even though Betelgeuse had slugged poor Percy right in the face, surely hard enough to leave black eyes and maybe a broken nose, the boy looked perfectly fine.

They fell into an easy habit of Betelgeuse visiting Lydia after school. Sometimes she’d come home and find the ghost perched on her bed, waiting for her. He liked to hover around her while she did homework, and sometimes at night she’d let him hang around while they watched her favorite television shows together. 

Charles and Delia returned from their most recent trip, full of gifts for Lydia that ended up on the floor of her closet. It was a testament to their faulty parenting that they didn’t even notice the fabulous new ring on Lydia’s finger, nor did they seem to pay any attention to the ghostly things that kept happening in their room. Betelgeuse eventually gave up when Lydia made him promise to leave them alone.

Despite their intense make-out session last weekend, Lydia noticed that Betelgeuse was careful around her. When they lounged on her bed to watch television, the poltergeist sat a few solid inches away from her. Sometimes at night before he’d disappear to his realm, he’d give her a quick kiss on the forehead but nothing else. Lydia knew his behavior probably branched from the way she’d abruptly stopped their make-out session, but neither of them had mentioned it.  

When the weekend arrived, Lydia had planned out an evening in for her and Betelgeuse. It had come to her attention that Betelgeuse was not aware of Netflix, and so she’d decided to set aside a night to binge watch some of her favorite shows with the ghost. Betelgeuse wasn’t really interested by television, since he grew agitated if he stayed static for too long. But she had a few shows that she was pretty sure his twisted mind would enjoy.

She popped a few bags of popcorn, and was curled up in her bed by the time Betelgeuse appeared in her room. She could always feel him approaching whenever chills went down her arms, and sure enough the ghost was standing in her doorway. The main source of light came from the glow of Lydia’s TV.

“You’re late,” Lydia pointed out.

Betelgeuse rolled his eyes, hands in his pockets. He evaluated the scene before him; Lydia was relaxing on the bed, wearing an oversized T-shirt and some pajama pants. He eyed them appreciatively when he noticed they were black and white striped. He sank into the bed next to her, pushing the popcorn bowl away and dragging her over to him.

Lydia blushed self-consciously at the show of affection. It was the most he’d touched her all week. Betelgeuse pulled her against him, burying his face in her sweet-smelling hair and exhaling slowly. He ran his hand over the dip of her waist and the swell of her hip, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on her thigh.

“Take off your boots, please,” Lydia squeaked, not wanting him to track dirt or God knows what else on her duvet. Betelgeuse growled into her neck but obediently kicked off his shoes. Lydia was amused to find that his socks were mismatched, one black and one blue.

“Okay, so I have a couple shows that I want you to watch. This first one is pretty gory, so I think you’ll enjoy it.” Lydia messed with the remote, selecting her show. Betelgeuse literally couldn’t have given less of a fuck what she put on, as long as she kept letting him wrap his arms around her. 

“Sure babes,” he muttered into her neck. “Whatever ya want.”

Lydia was pretty invested in the show, and Betelgeuse pretended to watch. He shifted their bodies so that he was leaning up against her headboard, and she was curled up between his legs. He loved the heat that came off of her in waves.

Betelgeuse took a moment to fully understand how ridiculous he must have looked at the moment. The Ghost with the Most, the most frightening poltergeist in the Netherworld, practically _cuddling_ with this girl, watching TV together. The fact that he was doing anything remotely resembling _cuddling_ would have seriously damaged the Beetle’s reputation. Juno herself never would have believed it.

But when he ran his hands over Lydia’s thighs and inhaled the sweet scent of her body wash, his thoughts were scrambled. He couldn’t believe how much Lydia had fallen into him in just the span of several days. She was slowly, but surely, opening up to him. Not to mention the fact that she still hadn’t taken off the ring he’d given her.

That night, Lydia fell asleep against his chest. Betelgeuse sensed it was his time to go, so he carefully started to remove himself. Lydia jostled awake, her sleepy eyes opening in the darkness. She grabbed the cuff of Betelgeuse’s jacket. 

“Will you stay tonight?” Lydia murmured.

Betelgeuse could never say no to anything she asked of him. He succumbed to her wish, making a move for the purple armchair. Lydia made a little sound, drawing his attention back to her. 

She sheepishly looked up at him. “Would you… sleep with me?”

Betelgeuse ground his teeth together. Sweet, innocent Lydia had no idea what she was really asking. He closed his eyes, knowing that if he said no she’d be disappointed. 

“Sure babes,” he drawled, tonguing the inside of his mouth. He reluctantly pushed aside the blankets and joined her in bed. She shyly curled up next to him, and his arm fell loosely into place around her waist. 

Most people would have been terrified by the presence of a poltergeist in their room, let alone their bed. But Lydia seemed to fall asleep easily with the ghost spooning her. Jesus Christ, he was _spooning_ her. Betelgeuse wasn’t sure if he’d ever spooned _anyone_ in his life, or death. In the quick, hard fucks he’d had in the past, there was never any post-coital cuddling. 

Her breathing eventually deepened, and Lydia was asleep. Betelgeuse found himself absently running his fingers through her dark hair. He was careful not to brush against her breasts or even think about the delicate spot between her legs. He wanted Lydia to be fully conscious and _begging_ him to touch her in those places.

Something became very clear to Betelgeuse in that moment, a fact that he’d never had to face before. It made him a little nauseous, which should have been impossible. But there he was, his stomach churning from a sudden, alarming realization.

He was fucking falling for her.   

Betelgeuse’s hand stopped on her thigh. Had this been part of the plan? Sure, he’d taken a liking to Lydia from the first time he’d seen her. But things had been different back then, and a lot of time had passed. His goal was still relatively similar; get hitched so that he can be free once again. But Betelgeuse hadn’t really expected to grow this attached to Lydia. 

Betelgeuse thought long and hard, even trying to browse the memories of when he’d been human. He’d been with a _lot_ of women, and he had falsely told a lot of them that he loved them in an attempt to get one final fuck (which nearly always worked). Maybe when he was alive he’d been in love, but it was such a long time ago that Betelgeuse couldn’t be for sure.

And yet this sweet, lovely little gothic thing he held in his arms had infected the ghost with the most with these horrible _feelings._ The plan had been to sweep her off her feet, dote on her and flirt with her. Betelgeuse had known he’d probably get a soft spot for her, as he was a bit of a sucker for dark-haired women. Double trouble if she was into weird things, like spiders and death and other creepy stuff. 

Lydia moved in her sleep, murmuring something. At first the ghost could hard believe his ears. But there it was again. The sweetest, breathiest little voice saying, “ _Betelgeuse._ ”

_Well fuck me up and throw me in the fires of hell._

Betelgeuse couldn’t help himself; he pressed a deep kiss into Lydia’s mouth, a reward for murmuring his name so sweetly. It would appear that he had affected even her subconscious. Lydia stirred sleepily, blinking open her eyes and kissing Betelgeuse back. 

“You said my name twice,” he whispered.

 “Sorry,” she breathed back, flat on her back beneath him. Betelgeuse’s cold hand slipped under her shirt and pressed down on her stomach.

“You okay?” Lydia whispered.

Betelgeuse narrowed his eyes at her. Maybe one day, he’d punish Lydia for teasing him so sweetly, so innocently. But for now he was going to have to reign in those thoughts and settle for cuddling with her.

“Yeah. Just don’t send me back,” he chuckled, removing his hand from under her shirt and placing it in a much more appropriate spot on top of the duvet. He waited until she was fast asleep again, before allowing himself to switch off for a few hours.   


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to everyone who has left kudos and reviews! It makes me so happy that people are enjoying this story. After the abundance of fluff, this chapter gets pretty serious, so buckle up!

If anything positive had come out of Betelgeuse terrorizing the Deetz family (other than Lydia’s car), it was her newfound sense of self. She still struggled a bit with social anxiety, but people were nicer to her at school. She even hung out with people outside of class, which was how she and Percy became fast friends.

However, Lydia was enjoying hanging out with people her age instead of ghosts. She met a few other people that were into photography, and they formed their school’s first photography club. In general, most people just accepted Lydia as the quiet goth girl and let her be. There was just one person who couldn’t seem to understand why people were now being nice to Lydia.

  
Percy’s brother, Benjamin, was pretty popular but not necessarily mean towards anyone. His group of friends had been kind of cruel towards Lydia when she first moved here, but after Percy started hanging out with her, Benjamin put a stop to it. Alas, the one person that Benjamin _couldn’t_ control was his girlfriend, Odessa.

Odessa was the rare kind of popular, where she was pretty quiet in class and at parties, but being the junior track star put her into the limelight. Her popularity skyrocketed after she got together with Benjamin–– who was a senior, and “older men” were all the rage among the junior girls. Odessa wasn’t a classic mean-girl type; on the contrary, she was smart and worked hard to maintain her high position on the track team.

  
But she did _not_ like Lydia. Lydia wasn’t sure what it was about her that rubbed Odessa the wrong way, but it had been that way as long as Lydia could remember. Unfortunately, Lydia was often thrown together with her because of Percy and Benjamin, who were buds despite being very different. 

Lydia had no way of proving it, but she knew it was Odessa who had started the nasty rumors about her earlier in the year. In Lydia’s first few weeks at her new high school, rumors flew around that she was a lesbian, that she practiced black magic, and that she had killed someone in New York which was why her family had relocated here. 

To be honest, Lydia didn’t mind any of the rumors. They were all flattering. But what did hurt her feelings was it affected the way people interacted with her. Percy was the only one who was nice to her, probably because he knew Odessa well enough to triangulate the source of the rumors. 

Someone had also placed a rat in Lydia’s locker, which of course backfired because Lydia liked rats. But people saw her pull the rat out of her locker and dote upon it, which didn’t help the black magic rumors. Lydia was also pretty sure Odessa or one of her friends had somehow put that poor little rat in her locker.

But in general, Odessa was just mean spirited towards Lydia. They’d only spoken a handful of times, but each interaction was cold and laced with thinly-veiled disgust towards Lydia. Even after Lydia had stopped wearing some of her more eccentric outfits to school and started making friends, Odessa clung to her predetermined notions about the goth. 

When Lydia arrived at school the following Monday, she found the building felt eerily quiet. People were talking quietly, and not lingering in the hallways. A couple people gave Lydia weird looks, but that wasn’t unusual so Lydia just went about her classes like normal. Second-period had just begun when Lydia was asked to go to the principal’s office.

Percy, who was sitting next to her, shot Lydia a worried look. She just shrugged at him, and made her way through the halls until coming to a stop at Principal Bluffton’s office. Bluffton was a heavy-set, balding man whose golden years of being a principal were long behind him. He was still a good person, however, and had been welcoming towards Lydia since the beginning of the year. 

Lydia stepped through the threshold of Bluffton’s office, only to find herself face-to-face with Odessa herself. Lydia blinked at the girl, a little confused. Bluffton stood up at his desk, motioning for Lydia to close the door behind her.

“Hello, Miss Deetz,” Bluffton sighed, seeming quite weary. Lydia glanced between him and Odessa, trying to figure out what was going on. Odessa refused to look at the goth, simply stared attentively at her principal. The door closed with a soft _click_ and Lydia took her seat.

Bluffton sighed once again, before folding his hands on his desk and staring at both of them. His blue eyes were magnetized by the thick glasses he wore, giving him the appearance of an owl. “Miss Deetz. Miss Padget. I think it’s time we address some of the rumors going around the school.”

Lydia shot a dark look in Odessa’s direction. She thought this kind of stuff was behind her. What had Odessa told people now?

Odessa cleared her throat. “Sir, I’m sorry for any confusion. But I don’t understand why I am here.” 

Bluffton stared at her so dourly that even Odessa shrank back a tiny bit. “There are _rumors_ going around this school that Miss Deetz here was going to bring in a gun today. Now normally I do not worry myself with the gossip of teenagers, but we have to take these kind of rumors seriously.”

Lydia felt all of the blood drain from her face. Her heart started pounding very loudly in her chest. A _gun?_ No one in her family even owned one. She didn’t even know how to get access to such an item. A cold, quick fury possessed the girl and it took a great deal of self-control to not close the distance between her and Odessa, and slap the girl silly.  

“I have known Miss Deetz since the day she started here, and there has never been any cause for alarm that she would do such a thing. All of her teachers corroborate this feeling, as well as several of her classmates. Therefore, I looked into where this rumor came from.” Bluffton flicked his owl eyes in Odessa’s direction.

“It wasn’t hard to trace it back to you, Miss Padget. We also believe that if we contact the police and obtain a warrant, we can pull text messages that will prove you were spreading this rumor.” Bluffton appraised the girl over the rim of his glasses, looking very grave indeed.

Odessa’s shoulders suddenly tensed, and her fingers dug into the fabric of her athletic shorts. “You can’t prove anything,” she said curtly.

Bluffton shook his head. “Miss Padget, I don’t think you understand. Both the school and the local police typically look into people who start rumors such as these… sadly, in the past, it’s been the students who started these particular rumors that brought in the gun.”

Odessa’s eyes widened. “Are you saying… are you saying I’m going to be _investigated?_ ” She pointed a sharp finger Lydia’s direction. “The rumors were about _her,_ not me!”

Bluffton folded his hands again. Lydia admired the patience in this man. “I’m sorry, Miss Padget, but this is simply how it works. In today’s day and age, we must take every rumor very seriously. Now as I’m sure you are aware, this investigation might affect your position on the team. Coach Tyler is going to talk to you about that separately.”

Odessa blanched. The girl looked absolutely horrified. 

“Miss Padget, I need you to apologize to Miss Deetz. Here, in front of me.” Bluffton waited calmly, not affected by the appalled look on Odessa’s face. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but this ridiculousness ends today. Whatever problems you have, need to be worked out. These kind of hateful rumors can ruin people’s lives.”

Odessa _slowly_ turned to face Lydia. She tried to match the coldness of Lydia’s eyes, but it was laughable. Lydia could see Odessa squirming beneath her sweet façade, which was something she had never seen before. Lydia narrowed her eyes at Odessa, waiting patiently.

There was a long stretch of silence, when Odessa slowly opened her mouth. “I’m sorry about the rumors,” she said, and to an adult’s ears the apology sounded genuine. But to someone like Lydia who noticed details, she knew Odessa just felt sorry for herself. 

“Now go, Miss Padget. I need to speak to Miss Deetz alone.”

Odessa flicked her mane of chestnut hair, brushing past Lydia and exiting the room. Lydia turned back towards Bluffton, who took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily. “I’m truly sorry, Lydia,” he exhaled, shaking his head. “No one believes you’d do such a thing, but it still frightens people. Once the police obtain a warrant to go through her texts and social media, Miss Padget will probably not tell any more rumors for a long time.”  

But Lydia wasn’t so sure. Though she appreciated Bluffton personally apologizing to her and taking control of the situation, Lydia knew Odessa somehow would blame her for any damage that came to her track career because of this. 

Her suspicions were confirmed later that day after classes had ended. Lydia was approaching her car when she noticed someone standing in front of it. She realized it was Odessa. Cautiously, Lydia approached the track star.

“Why did you tell people that I was going to be a school shooter?” Lydia asked plaintively, seeing no point in a polite greeting.

Odessa was staring coolly at Lydia, but her brown eyes waged war. “Because I think you’re a fuckin’ freak,” she said simply. “And I think you probably will be a school shooter one day.”

Lydia couldn’t believe the words coming out of Odessa’s mouth. _No one_ had ever said something so cruel to her in her entire life. She bristled, taking a step closer to Odessa. “Why the _fuck_ do you hate me so much? I literally did nothing to you.”

Odessa just smirked, and said nothing. 

“You could have just told people I’m a witch or something. At least that wouldn’t have fucked up your position on the track team.” 

The athlete’s smirk suddenly vanished. Faster than Lydia could think, Odessa slapped her _hard._ Lydia gasped from the stinging shock of it, delicately reaching towards her cheek. _Yep, that was going to leave a mark._

Without saying anything else, Odessa stalked off towards her car. Lydia cursed under her breath, fishing her keys out of her backpack. It was then that she saw her beloved car, and her heart fell to the soles of her shoes.

Odessa had scratched _freak_ into the metallic black paint. Those five letters stretched across the entirety of the driver’s door. Lydia ran a finger along the marks, figuring Odessa had done it with her keys. The words were ingrained right into the metal of the car. 

Lydia let out a scream of frustration. She fucking _wished_ that she practiced black magic. If she did, there would be an unspeakably horrific curse following Odessa home. She leaned against her car and cried. The parking-lot was mostly empty so she didn’t have to worry about an audience.

People were _finally_ treating her nicely, and she had actual friends to hang out with and take photos with. Odessa must have been pissed that people were being nice to her. Honestly it wasn’t even the word _freak_ that made Lydia cry. It was the fact that this was her very first car, her baby, and Odessa had managed to defile it with her immature, grade-school antics. 

Lydia didn’t get back to her house until after dinner. Delia and Charles were in the midst of a silly fight over selling Delia’s artwork. This had been an ongoing fight that sparked at random times over the past few days, and usually it annoyed Lydia. But this one time she was grateful for the distraction so that she could slip upstairs to her bathroom.

She checked her reflection in the mirror. After this, Lydia certainly wouldn’t doubt Odessa’s strength; most of the red on her cheek had faded, but that side of her face still stung. Lydia splashed some cold water on it and opened the bathroom door, feeling tendrils of chilly air snake around her.

Betelgeuse was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking agitated. He took one look at Lydia and his expression darkened. “Who wrote _freak_ on your car?” he asked, voice deadly calm.  



	12. Chapter 12

Lydia put her hands on her hips. “Back off, Betelgeuse,” she said crossly. She hardly ever used his name, which brought even more gravity to her sentence. “I don’t need you to fight my battles.”

Betelgeuse’s eyes widened as he drew closer to her, inspecting the red mark on her jaw. He took her chin in his calloused fingers, forcing her to look at him. “Did. Someone. _Hit you?”_ He spat out each word like his mouth was filled with gravel.

“Drop it!” Lydia snapped, pushing his hand away.

Lydia suddenly felt herself shoved against the wall, and Betelgeuse slammed his hands into the wall on either side of her. “I’m not _fucking_ around here, Lydia. _Who hit you?”  
_

“It’s just stupid high school stuff,” she insisted, a little jarred from being tossed against the wall.

Betelgeuse came in closer. “You’ll tell me now, or I fucking promise you that I will murder each and every one of your classmates.”

Lydia shuddered from the promise in Betelgeuse’s voice. She thought she had seen Betelgeuse at his worse at Percy’s party, but that had just been the jealous tantrum of a boyfriend. _This_ frenzy of rage was a whole new level. Betelgeuse was practically spitting fire. Lydia could see now why people were so _terrified_ of him. She saw, in that moment, the Betelgeuse that was capable of violence and slow, agonizing torture.

“You can’t kill anyone! I won’t ever marry you if you kill someone!” Lydia cried out, frightened that Betelgeuse might murder Odessa. As much of a bitch as the girl was, Lydia would never be able to forgive Betelgeuse–– or herself.

Betelgeuse’s chest was heaving. He let out a snarl of frustration, punching his hand into the wall by Lydia’s head. The plaster cracked all the way up to the ceiling. “I won’t kill anyone. I give you my word,” he rasped. _“Who hurt you?”_

Lydia closed her eyes. If she didn’t tell Betelgeuse, he’d just torture her classmates until they told him who bullied Lydia Deetz. Her eyes filled with hot tears that dripped down her face. “Odessa Padget,” she breathed.

Before she could blink Betelgeuse was gone. She sank to the floor, crying. Barbara had heard the commotion from the attic, and rushed into Lydia’s room. She found Lydia curled up in a ball, crying, and immediately held the girl in her arms. She brought Lydia over to her bed, whispering and talking to the girl until she cried herself to sleep. She’d never seen Lydia so distraught, and had hardly been able to understand what Lydia said.

At first she blamed Betelgeuse for finding Lydia in this state. But when Barbara glanced out the window and saw the horrible name scratched into Lydia’s car, something clicked into place. She pulled the purple armchair up to Lydia’s bed, sitting with the girl for hours to make sure she slept.

Barbara was startled by a sudden gust of cold air that infiltrated Lydia’s room around three in the morning. She knew who it was before looking up to find Betelgeuse standing in Lydia’s doorway. He looked even wilder than usual, stalking into Lydia’s room like a rabid animal.

“What happened?” Barbara whispered.

Betelgeuse’s voice was rough. “Some bitch at Lydia’s school started a rumor that Lydia was gonna bring a gun to school.” Barbara gasped, her heart sinking in her chest. Betelgeuse nodded. “ _Right?_ No one would fuckin’ believe that. Anyways, Lydia faced her and the _cunt_ had the _balls_ to fuckin’ slap. My. _Fiancé.”_ Betelgeuse still trembled with rage at the thought. “And she keyed Lydia’s car.”

Barbara suddenly felt a little sick. Her eyes fluttered closed, hoping to God that Betelgeuse hadn’t murdered the bully, but steeling herself in case he had. “What did… what did you do?”

The poltergeist’s eyes were even wilder than his hair. They glowed supernaturally in the darkness of Lydia’s room. “I didn’t kill ‘er. I was _fuckin’ plannin’ on killin’ ‘er._ Lydia made me promise not to.”

Barbara let out a small breath of relief. “What did you do to her, then?”

Betelgeuse slowly came to stand above the bed where Lydia slept. Her make-up was still smeared from her tears. He stared silently down at Lydia for a long time. “I fucked her up,” the ghost replied, an ugly smile curling his lips. “She’s _alive,_ and not physically damaged,” he added hastily upon Barbara’s expression. “But she’s nice and fucked up now. She’ll be leavin’ Lydia alone, that’s fer sure.”

Barbara still didn’t like how vague that answer was, and she had a bad feeling that whoever had struck Lydia would be reaping the everlasting effects of Betelgeuse’s rage for the rest of their life. Even though Barbara tried not to think ill of anyone, it was a sick notion to start rumors about Lydia doing such an awful thing. This person deserved to have the life scared out of her, which Barbara was certain the poltergeist had done.

For once, Betelgeuse and Barbara were aligned in their concern for Lydia’s wellbeing. Betelgeuse nodded at her, saying gruffly, “Thanks for stayin’ with ‘er.”

Barbara nodded. “She was so upset… I think she thought you were going to kill someone.”

Betelgeuse shook his head slowly. “I promised her I wouldn’t,” he said simply. With Betelgeuse back, Barbara was comfortable leaving Lydia. She might not have liked Betelgeuse very much, but she knew he’d keep Lydia safe tonight and that was really all that mattered.


	13. Chapter 13

Lydia awoke the next morning feeling very chilly. She found herself tangled up in Betelgeuse’s arms. The moment she shifted, his green eyes opened and were trained on her. At first, Lydia didn’t know what to say to him. Yesterday had been awful for so many reasons. On top of everything with Odessa, she’d never be able to forget how _terrifying_ Betelgeuse was. 

“Did you kill her?” she whispered, dreading the answer.

Betelgeuse shook his head. “No. I promised you I wouldn’t, Lydia,” he said seriously. 

“What did you do?” Lydia rasped, feeling sick.

“She’s not physically harmed at all,” Betelgeuse assured her. “I just gave her a _nasty_ fuckin’ scare. Trust me when I say she won’t be spreading rumors about _anyone_ for the rest of her life.”

Betelgeuse dipped his head towards Lydia’s as if to kiss her, but she turned her head away. Feeling like he’d been slapped, Betelgeuse broke away from Lydia completely. He materialized a few feet away from her, standing by the mirror. 

“Are you afraid of me now?” he asked roughly.

Lydia hesitated. “A little bit,” she admitted.

Betelgeuse nodded. Lydia had grown to anticipate the way the poltergeist acted right before he vanished, and a sudden panic gripped her. “Betelgeuse,” she whispered, jumping out of bed. “Don’t go.”

The poltergeist just stood there, rooted to the spot. He looked absolutely miserable, like a puppy that had just been flogged. Lydia knew that Betelgeuse was so careful around her for this reason; he didn’t want to scare her off. 

She approached him cautiously, convinced he might vanish at any moment. Lydia finally reached out for the ghost’s hand, and pulled her towards him. Betelgeuse allowed her to pull him back into bed, his lovesick eyes following her every move.

“I felt like I failed,” he snarled. “I’m supposed to protect you, Lydia.”

Lydia curled up on his chest, and Betelgeuse’s hands wrapped tightly around her waist. “You do protect me,” she murmured.

Betelgeuse’s eyes abruptly darkened. He hooked a finger into the collar of Lydia’s shirt that hung off her shoulder, eying the faint bruise there. It was where he had pushed Lydia into the wall in the midst of his rage.

“I’m sorry ‘bout that,” he sighed. “I’m not used to bein’ around breathers… you’re just so delicate…” His green eyes burned with frustration for once again losing his control around Lydia. He sure was doing a bang-up job of courting her.  

“I bruise pretty easily,” Lydia said, trying to lighten the conversation. 

Something that had been blurry suddenly came into sharp focus for Lydia. She had never seen Betelgeuse so unraveled before. When she peered into his eyes, she was shocked to see _fear_ written there in the green. Something clicked into place. 

He was afraid of losing her.

Lydia slipped her arms around the poltergeist’s neck, wondering when the last time was that the Ghost with the Most had been hugged. She couldn’t expect an ancient poltergeist to be good at communication. She knew that he hadn’t meant to scare her.

“I won’t send you away,” she promised him.

Lydia didn’t go to school that day. Percy called her later in the afternoon, telling her that something had happened to Odessa and she wasn’t at school either. Apparently Benjamin had told him that she was considering transferring to a different school.

“Serves her right, after starting all those rumors,” Percy said cheerfully. “At least we won’t have to deal with her anymore.”

Betelgeuse had fixed her car with just a wave of his hand, and it was now even shinier than it had been before. Lydia spent the rest of her day off cuddling in bed with her poltergeist.  They didn’t say much, mostly just watched TV and ate snacks.

Betelgeuse disappeared for a couple hours in the evening, promising he’d be back to spend the night with her. Lydia was in the middle of an episode on Netflix when chills ran down her spine and she expectantly waited for Betelgeuse to appear. And he did, but not before a tiny black furball was dropped into her lap. 

Lydia’s eyes widened. She slowly took the tiny creature into her hands, and gasped. It was a little black kitten. The kitten opened her mouth in a loud _meow,_ scrabbling to get back into the warmth of Lydia’s blankets.

“It was gonna be a surprise fer yer birthday,” Betelgeuse said roughly, trying to appear unaffected by the way Lydia was beaming at him. “But after all that shit yesterday, I figured ya deserved an early present.”

Lydia gently cuddled the kitten against her chest, cooing and baby-talking the tiny creature. The kitten mewled in protest and Lydia sat her down on the duvet. The kitten looked around for a second before starting to explore the terrain of Lydia’s bed.

“Oh my gosh,” Lydia giggled, her eyes filled with stars. Before Betelgeuse could say anything she threw herself into his arms, sweeping her hands around his neck. Betelgeuse was surprised but easily caught her in his arms, basking in Lydia’s affections. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve always wanted a kitten but my dad and Dalia always said no!” Lydia squealed, looking more animated and girlish than ever. She kissed Betelgeuse, running her hands through his hair and infecting him with her joy. When they broke apart, he couldn’t help but give her a genuine toothy smile.

“Yer welcome, babes,” he said sheepishly. If he had any blood left, he probably would have been blushing.  

The kitten found the edge of the bed, and Lydia quickly scrambled out of Betelgeuse’s arms to rescue her pet. Lydia brought the kitten back to her chest, baby talking it and then forcing Betelgeuse to help her come up with a name. 

“How about Blackie?” he teased. Lydia was far too excited to even roll her eyes at him. She just laughed, and kept scrolling through names on Google. The kitten ambled over to where Betelgeuse had angled himself on the bed’s edge, preventing the creature from falling off. She noticed a stray thread on Betelgeuse’s jacket and instantly starting playing with it. 

“Stella!” Lydia said suddenly, her voice sing-song. She looked at the kitten, trying out the name again. “Stella?”

The kitten probably just heard Lydia’s voice and turned to see what her human needed, but Lydia took this as a sign. Lydia was practically bouncing on the bed, calling to Stella until the tiny kitten gave up on Betelgeuse’s loose string and curled up in her human’s lap.

When Lydia glanced down at her kitten again, she was wearing a pink collar encrusted with black skulls. A little black tag in the shape of a heart dangled from the kitten’s new collar. In old-fashioned script it said _Stella.  
_

Lydia was confused for a fraction of a second before giving Betelgeuse the kind of smile that made his black, dead heart _thump._ Following the collar, Lydia’s bedroom floor was suddenly filled with kitten toys, food, and matching pink-and-skulls litter box.

Stella’s eyes widened at the sea of toys awaiting her, and hopped down to play. Lydia and Betelgeuse ended up on the floor for most of the night, playing with Stella until the kitten was tuckered out. They put her in her little kitten bed, and Lydia quickly fell asleep in Betelgeuse’s arms. At some point in the night, Stella clawed her way up Lydia’s bed and curled up with her new human.  

Lydia’s breathing brought the poltergeist peace, but tonight he chose not to switch off. He stayed awake, lost in thought and running his fingers absently through the girl’s hair. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to everyone who has supported this story! I just wanted to give a quick little PSA... the romance/smut is coming! I really want to show that Betelgeuse and Lydia have a genuine connection that is growing and it feels more realistic to me that it would take time for Lydia to trust Betelgeuse enough to even consider doing anything more than making out. So hang in there my dear readers! And thank you again!

Over the next few weeks, Betelgeuse started staying the night more often. He left her alone during the week for the most part, but sometimes at night even after Lydia had fallen asleep she’d get goosebumps and then a cold arm would snake itself around her waist. Usually he’d be gone by the morning, but sometimes on the weekend he’d lounge around with her.

Classes kept Lydia busy, and she made sure to keep studying with Adam and Barbara so that they knew she was keeping up with her classes. Occasionally Betelgeuse would help her study, but Lydia found that she usually got distracted while studying with him. 

On the weekends, most of Lydia’s time was spent with Betelgeuse and Stella. One evening while Lydia was reading a book, she peered over the pages at Betelgeuse. He was hovering by the television, flipping through the channels like a kid. She put the book aside and cleared her throat to get his attention.

Betelgeuse floated towards the bed, hovering just a few inches over her. “Yes, babes?” he crooned.

Lydia couldn’t help but giggle, giving him a half-hearted shove. “I’ve been thinking about something.”

Betelgeuse sank into the bed next to her, twiddling his fingers. “An’ what’s that?”

“I kind of want to see.. your house.”

The poltergeist raised his brows. “ _My_ house? It’s nothin’ impressive.” 

Lydia shrugged. “I’m just curious. Also I’ve kind of been wanting to visit the Netherworld…”

There was a cocky look on his face. “Babes, are ya sayin’ ya want ta go back ta _my_ places?” Whenever Betelgeuse became a little bit more seductive, his words became choppy and roguish. It went straight to Lydia’s lower abdomen every time he talked to her like that.

She shivered a little beneath the chilly cloud of his attention. “Yeah,” she said slowly. 

Betelgeuse snapped his fingers, and all at once their environment shifted. Lydia was no longer lying on her bed in her house; instead she found herself sinking into a particularly lumpy couch in a strange living room. Betelgeuse had disappeared.

Lydia pulled herself to her feet, surveying her new surroundings. If they were in Betelgeuse’s apartment, it was easy to tell this was a bachelor pad. Nothing hung on the walls even though there were a few crooked nails, and walls were painted gray. Brown stains colored the walls, causing Lydia to scrunch her nose.

The living room was pretty sparse. There was only the old couch, a ratty armchair, and a bulky television that looked straight out of the 1960s. It also didn’t help that the hardwood floor was covered in glass beer bottle shards, as though Betelgeuse in a rage had smashed hundreds of bottles. She wasn’t wearing shoes, and regretted not grabbing her boots.

“B?” Lydia called out uncertainly. It was a new thing she was trying out on him; a nickname. After all he had no shortage of pet names for her, but Lydia felt strange calling him anything but his name. She was pretty sure he approved of the nickname, especially if she whispered it in his ear when they were kissing.

Her poltergeist swept into the room, took one look at the sea of broken glass surrounding Lydia, and waved his hand. At once the hardwood floors were immaculately clean. Lydia wiggled her toes, and glanced down at her feet. In one smooth motion, Betelgeuse had cleaned the floors as well as put a pair of shiny black boots on his fiancé’s feet. 

“Sorry,” he grimaced. “Haven’t been keepin’ the place very clean. Been a little distracted lately.” Lydia avoided his gaze, but she blushed when she realized he was referring to her. She picked her way into the connected kitchen, which was fairly small and there wasn’t a scrap of food to be found. 

Betelgeuse didn’t say anything while Lydia wandered around his tiny house. It was a pretty surreal sight, seeing the little human explore each room. He’d thought about her plenty of times while pacing around this very room, and to see the object of his affections strolling around in _his_ house was pretty attractive.

Eventually she made her way to Betelgeuse’s bedroom. To her surprise, this room actually appeared to be taken care of; the walls were painted with black and white stripes, and there was a small bookshelf in the corner with a handful of books. There was a closet filled with Betelgeuse’s suits and shoes, and then finally his bed. She was amused to see that his bed sheets were also black and white striped. 

Lydia made herself at home on his bed. It was lumpy, but it smelled like him and she liked that. Betelgeuse stalked into the room, eying her on his bed. During the time that Betelgeuse had been locked behind Lydia’s mirror and pent-up sexual frustration had gotten the best of him, he’d pleasured himself several times on that _very_ bed to fantasies about her.

And now here she was, sprawled out on _his_ bed, with _his_ wedding ring on her finger. Betelgeuse’s mouth went very dry, and he licked his lips. His thoughts were prevented from going any further when Lydia asked him, “What is there to do around here?”

The poltergeist scratched his chin, leaning against the doorframe. “Mmm, well. There’s a pretty good bar not too far from here.”

“I’m not twenty-one,” Lydia pointed out.

Betelgeuse rolled his eyes. He’d forgotten how humans instantly assumed everything worked the way it did in their own world. “We ain’t in your neck of woods anymore, babes,” he chuckled. “Things work a little differently ‘round here.”

Lydia hopped off his bed, folding her arms across her chest indignantly. Betelgeuse swallowed a toothy smile; it had become one of his favorite past-times to make her mad. She was pretty cute whenever she turned cross.

“Fine. Then take me to this bar,” Lydia retorted.

Betelgeuse shot her one of his signature looks, half mischievous and half sinister, and with a gust of cold air the environment around Lydia transformed. Even though Betelgeuse was accustomed to traveling at the drop of a hat, it always left Lydia discombobulated. Her mortal bones just weren’t used to supernatural transportation.

Lydia gathered her bearings, glancing around. She was standing in the middle of a busy room, and if it weren’t for the smell of alcohol in the air Lydia might have never guessed she was in a bar. 

There was a little hut, built with what appeared to be human skeletons, in the middle of the dark room. The front half of a burned-up bus had been placed next to the hut, with the glass windows knocked out and ghosts serving drinks through the open windshield. Instead of a proper bar, coffins had been nailed to the floor with pieces of wood that acted as a place to rest your drink. There were little black stools with clawed feet that sometimes started walking around, even if they were occupied. 

Lights were angled around the room, dripping in surreal colors that Lydia had never seen before. Crazy music was blasting from somewhere, something that Lydia could only describe as a mix between country and classic Halloween party songs. The guests of this bar were quite gruesome; it appeared that most of them still resembled the way they had died. 

A wild grin took hold of Lydia’s face as she looked around. This was by far the freakiest place she had ever been, and this was only a bar! Lydia was about to take a step forward when a cold shudder ran down her spine. Betelgeuse’s voice sounded very close to her ear.

“Don’t stray too far, babes,” the ghost warned her. “People ‘round here ain’t used to breathers.”

Lydia thought about the Maitlands, and how they looked pretty normal for dead people. It was probably due to the fact that they had drowned, and their bodies hadn’t been mutilated or burned. She decided that if anyone became suspicious, she’d just borrow the Maitland’s story.

She followed the poltergeist up to the coffins, where a large creature was acting as the bartender. He wasn’t a ghost, Lydia immediately realized. This brought up a fresh wave of questions; if he wasn’t a ghost, then what was he? Were there other kinds of monsters in this world? 

The bartender rounded his enormous red eye on her. The eye was so large that it took up the entire space of what might have been his face, and there didn’t appear to be any eyelid. Lydia was so fascinated by him that Betelgeuse had to jostle her. “What ya drinkin’, babes?” the ghost prompted, amused.

Lydia considered this. She took a look at the row of alcohol behind the bartender’s eyeball. Most of the bottles were insane shapes that couldn’t have been formed in the human world, and some of them had eyeballs inside that blinked out at the girl. She glimpsed a few bottle of liquor that had snakes and beetles swimming around in the amber liquid.

“Can I just have a water?” she asked, suddenly timid in the presence of this monster. Most humans would have been terrified by him and would eventually spiral into an existential crisis due to the fact that monsters _were_ , in fact, real. Children’s fears all over the world were finally validated. But Lydia had been seeing strange things her entire life, and when she had found monsters in her closet as a child, she’d simply befriended them.

Wordlessly the creature tossed a glass cup onto the coffin counter, and lifted a nozzle that somehow sprayed both ice cubes and water into the glass. “Thank you!” she said shyly, taking the glass into her hands.

While Betelgeuse ordered his drink, Lydia kept glancing around. Monsters and ghosts were everywhere, chatting and dancing. There was a ghost couple in the corner having a grotesque make-out session, and Lydia was enthralled when the man’s tongue actually fell out of his mouth and onto the floor.

Lydia was also aware of the way people were glancing in the direction of Betelgeuse. She figured that Betelgeuse was pretty infamous, and news had spread around the Netherworld that he’d almost married a human, he’d _almost_ gotten out, but then he was attacked by a sandworm. Curious eyes also noticed Lydia, probably wondering who she was and why she was with the Ghost with the Most.

Lydia’s suspicions that Betelgeuse was a pretty famous guy were confirmed when ghosts and creatures started meandering over to him. Lydia was content to sip on her water and people watch while Betelgeuse chatted it up. She glanced over at him, finding the ghost animatedly talking to a couple of creatures that resembled goblins.

A strange thought occurred to Lydia. If these ghosts existed in the afterlife the way they had died, then why did Betelgeuse look so normal? Well, Lydia thought wryly to herself, Betelgeuse was probably the farthest thing from the definition of _normal._ But in certain terms he looked nothing like these other animated corpses, and he showed no signs of how he had died. Lydia didn’t even know _how_ he had died. 

She figured that since Betelgeuse was busy, and by this point she was blending in pretty well, it would be safe to explore a bit. Lydia hopped down from her clawed stool, and watched in awe as her clawed stool ambled away. She grinned like a madwoman and with that, began her exploration around the club.

The ceiling was pretty high, as there appeared to be a second level. The walls were dark and spongy, and it took Lydia a second to place the odd shapes. The walls were made out of spiders! For a second she was worried that they were all dead, but then the spiders began to shift and crawl away from her. A tiny one separated itself from the wall, and Lydia could have sworn it lifted its front leg up at her in greeting.

“Why, hello there,” she giggled, reaching down to let the little spider into her palm. The spider climbed into her hand and up her arm, coming to rest on her shoulder like a parrot. The spider made soft clicks that Lydia took as a thank you for picking him up.

With her newfound companion, Lydia made her way towards the skeletal staircase. It was entirely built out of bones. Lydia ran her hand along the bone railing, carefully picking her way up each stair until she was on the second level. The spider started clicking again, and Lydia opened her hand so he could jump into it.

“You’re much more friendly than the spiders in my world,” she told him earnestly. The spider danced a little bit, his furry legs tickling Lydia’s palm. She giggled, and placed the spider back on her shoulder. She peered over the second-floor railing to get a sweeping view of the dancefloor. The music had changed to something with a faster pace, and the ghosts and monsters below were dancing wildly. The spider on her shoulder tapped one of his legs along with the rhythm of the music.

Lydia’s eyes wandered around until she spotted a familiar poltergeist at the bar. He was talking to a different crowd, but Lydia’s heart sank when she noticed particularly curvaceous ghost sitting next to Betelgeuse. Even from a distance, Lydia could tell the ghost was beautiful. Like the Maitlands she showed no sign of her death, and long brunette hair fell down her shoulders in waves. 

Lydia’s stomach churned a bit when the ghost laughed at something Betelgeuse had said, and grabbed his bicep for support. But even after she’d stopped laughing, her hand didn’t move from Betelgeuse’s arm.


	15. Chapter 15

Lydia stood from her position on the second floor, feeling uncomfortable and a hot, sticky sensation in her stomach. Lydia swallowed hard; she was jealous. She’d never felt this way before, but it was unmistakable. She hated that she felt this way. After all, she held no claim to Betelgeuse just as he held no claim to her. They weren’t married.

And yet… the brunette kept her hand on Betelgeuse’s arm, and Lydia couldn’t help but feel hateful towards the ghost. And towards Betelgeuse for letting her touch his arm. And towards herself for even caring.

The spider tapped against her shoulder anxiously, seeming to sense her discomfort. Lydia sighed. The only creature in this entire bar she could be honest with was this little spider. She drew him into her hand again. “See Betelgeuse over there?” she asked, nodding towards the poltergeist. 

The spider poked his leg against her finger, seeming to recognize the ghost’s name. Lydia sighed again, feeling pretty foolish. “Well… I think I might like him. And he’s just… down there with those people. Instead of… me.” Lydia reluctantly said each word, hating herself even more. She’d always made fun of girls who acted this way with their boyfriends, and yet here she was, no better than them.

Her little spider friend pattered to the edge of her hand, seeming to be analyzing the situation. Without hesitation the creature sprang from Lydia’s palm, and she tried to catch him but she didn’t need to. As her friend fell through the air he was transforming, growing until he was about the size of a cat. The large, furry spider fell with a loud clatter to the coffins where Betelgeuse was surrounded by ghosts.

Lydia’s eyes were wide. She slowly sank down beneath the railing, hoping no one could see the direction the spider had swooped in from. Between the bones, Lydia watched the spider throw bottles aside as he approached Betelgeuse. To her disbelief, the spider stood up on his hind legs and she could hear him clicking again. Only this time the clicks were much sharper.

Betelgeuse had lost all interest in his crowd, and was listening to the spider. His green eyes shot up to the spot where Lydia was currently hiding. The spider kept clicking at him, and whatever he was saying Betelgeuse could understand. The brunette was there as well, but she was staring at the spider in disgust.

Lydia screwed her eyes shut. Great. She’d confessed her feelings to a fucking _spider,_ and it turned out the spider could talk. She figured the spider had her best interests at heart, but she wasn’t prepared for the embarrassment of when Betelgeuse confronted her. She could only imagine what those angry clicks were saying.

“Babes.”

Lydia cracked open one eye, finding herself looking at a pair of familiar black boots. She reluctantly opened both eyes and forced the fakest smile on her face. Maybe she could act her way out of this and avoid any embarrassment.

“Oh, hey Betelgeuse,” she said, almost believing how relaxed she sounded. She stood up and kept grinning up at him.

Her smile faltered a bit when she noticed the spider had returned to his normal size, and was perched on Betelgeuse’s shoulder. Betelgeuse’s arms were folded, and he quirked a brow. “Why are ya hidin’, babes?”

Lydia kept smiling. “Oh, I’m not hiding. I just tripped.”

Betelgeuse tapped his fingers against the fabric of his suit. His green eyes seemed to be glowing. “Why did you walk away from me?”

Something about the way Betelgeuse said this didn’t sit right with Lydia. She blinked at him, feeling her pulse quicken. “Well, you didn’t seem to notice that I was gone,” she said, sweet as ever with a dash of poison.

“Your friend here told me that I upset you,” the poltergeist informed her.

Despite being annoyed with him, Lydia took the safe route of acting clueless. She sure as hell wasn’t going to admit to the poltergeist that she’d been jealous. It would probably just bloat his ego even further. She batted her eyes up at him coquettishly, and said in her breathiest voice, “Oh, not at all.”

Betelgeuse stomped his boot in frustration. “Don’t _look_ at me like that when I’m tryin’ ta be serious with ya!” 

Lydia couldn’t help but be amused that her girlish tricks had an effect on him. But her mind conjured up the image of the brunette holding Betelgeuse’s arm, and she was back to scowling. “Can you take me back to my house, please?”

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong,” Betelgeuse retorted.

Lydia had a sneaking feeling that the spider had informed Betelgeuse of why she’d been upset, which normally would have been enough to make her blush. But not today. After seeing the way Betelgeuse had allowed that ghost to put her hand all over his arm, Lydia was feeling pretty untouchable. There truly was nothing like a woman scorned.

“Betelgeuse,” she said tauntingly, a warning.

The spider jumped from the ghost’s shoulder and back onto hers, as if sensing that in a few seconds Betelgeuse’s shoulder might not be there. Betelgeuse just glared down at her, eyes shining with jeer.

“You can’t send me back,” he told her. “You’ll be stranded here.”

Lydia just shrugged. “Fine by me. This place is way cooler than my house.” Betelgeuse’s eyes bugged a little bit, and Lydia could tell he was trying to call her bluff. But she wasn’t kidding. At this point, she couldn’t care less what happened to her.

“Betelgeuse,” she said again, voice firm.

The poltergeist’s eyes were wild. She could tell he was slowly realizing that Lydia wasn’t pulling any punches. A part of her remembered her promise to him, that she wouldn’t send him back. But Lydia was pissed. 

“Betel––”

“ _Stop!_ ” Betelgeuse yelped, jerking towards her and clamping a cold hand over her mouth. Lydia’s eyes shot daggers at him over the palm of his hand. Panic had settled into Betelgeuse’s eyes, probably because he recognized that Lydia was angry off enough to send him back for good.

The spider starting clicking again really quickly. “Shut up!” the poltergeist snapped at him.

Lydia bit his hand, making Betelgeuse cry out more in surprise than pain. She sucked in an angry breath. “Don’t be mean to my friend! _Betel_ ––”

The poltergeist stopped her again. “ _Lydia!_ Come on, you promised you wouldn’t do this! What did I do, babes? We can talk this out.”

Lydia folded her arms. Truth be told, she didn’t _really_ want to send him back. But she quite enjoyed Betelgeuse’s panic. It turned the tables, and made the girl feel like she was more in control of the situation. She knew that she was probably overreacting, but couldn’t help feeling a little hurt that Betelgeuse had so easily forgotten about her.

“ _Fine_ ,” she said, icy cold. “You seemed _awfully_ distracted down there, chatting it up. It’s true that you didn’t even notice I was gone.”

“I _did_ notice you were gone,” Betelgeuse retorted, twice as cold. “But you’re smart, and you’re not a child. I trusted ya to be safe.”

“Oh, so is that how it’s going to be when we get married?” Lydia snapped.

This brought Betelgeuse to a pause for two reasons; one, he’d been matching Lydia word for word but was suddenly confused by this off-the-wall comment. And two, Lydia had said _when_ we get married. Not _if._ She had said _when._ Despite this silly quarrel they were having, it was almost enough to make Betelgeuse grab her and start kissing her.

“Wha–– what’re ya talkin’ about?”

Lydia sighed, some of her fire burning out. “Look, I know you’re used to a certain lifestyle and all that. But if every time I turn my back you’re just going to let some woman feel you up, then… I don’t know.”

Betelgeuse shook himself like a dog. “ _What’re_ ya talkin’ about, babes? I’m not fuckin’ with ya, I’m honestly askin’.”

Lydia rolled her dark eyes, shiny as black marbles. “Don’t play dumb.”

“Babes,” he said, taking a step towards her. “Be straight with me.”

The girl studied him for a moment, before her eyes fell to her shoes. “That woman who was next to you,” she muttered. “She was all over you. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice.”

Betelgeuse stared down at her in shock. He didn’t say anything at first, and Lydia started to wonder if he’d malfunctioned. Even the spider on her shoulder jumped around in anticipation. The poltergeist took another step towards her.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Lydia. Are you joking with me right now?”

The girl just crossed her arms tighter across her chest, fully prepared to defend herself if needed. “No,” she said plaintively.

The poltergeist let out a strangled sound, running a crazed hand through his hair. “Lydia, for fuck’s sake. I spend almost all my time with you. I gave you that _ring_. I would _kill_ for you. I gave you a fucking _kitten,_ for Christ’s sake, and I don’t even like cats!” 

“Yeah!” Lydia raised her voice so it matched his level, not wanting to seem frightened by him. “So?”

Another garbled sound tore from the ghost’s throat. He was practically ripping his hair out by this point. “Lydia. You have me wrapped around yer _fuckin’_ finger. How do you not know?”

His words echoed the ones that he’d said to her that one night, over a month ago. The night he’d pulled her away from Percy’s brother’s party. Lydia’s breath hitched when she remembered that had been the first time he’d ever kissed her. She hated the way her lower abdomen burned from the memory.

“Finish the sentence!” she said in frustration, all but shouting at him by this point. People were staring, but Lydia didn’t care. She wasn’t one for outbursts, but Betelgeuse knew how to push the right buttons. “You keep saying that, like it’s a goddamn _riddle_. I’m tired of trying to figure out what you want from me!”

Betelgeuse grabbed her so roughly that it shook the spider from her shoulder. He fell gracefully to the skeletal railing behind Lydia. Betelgeuse’s fingers twisted in her hair, and before she could protest he was kissing her. If people hadn’t been staring before, they sure as hell were now.

It was a quick, savage kiss. His mouth moved on hers brutally, possessively. Lydia didn’t want to fall into it, but she was swept up in their quarrel and the way he knew how to kiss her. He broke away from her so suddenly that their lips made a wet _popping_ sound.

“Get this through your thick skull,” he snarled softly, green eyes boring into hers. “You’re the only one I want. I want _you_ so _fucking_ bad, Lydia. I’m all yours. I’ve _been_ yours probably since I first fuckin’ saw ya.” His voice was rough, cracking under the weight of his words. “I’m just waiting for you to _want_ to be mine.”

Lydia had no words to answer him. He kissed her again, and this time she allowed herself to kiss him back. There came a familiar rush of biting cold air, and Lydia blinked. She looked around; she was back in her room.

Stella _mrrowed_ happily at the sight of her owner, hopping up onto the bed. Lydia felt around for the cold presence of Betelgeuse, but there was nothing. He wasn’t in her room, or even in her house.


	16. Chapter 16

Lydia wasn’t sure if Betelgeuse was mad at her, or he was just trying to give her space. But he didn’t show up for the rest of Lydia’s weekend, and she didn’t even sense him spying on her through the mirror. 

She did her best to stay busy, and not pine after that stupid poltergeist. She read a few more chapters of her book, did homework, and patiently sat through dinner with Delia and Charles. On Sunday night Adam helped her study for an upcoming math test, and just like that the week began.

During lunch on Monday, Lydia was sitting with a few of her friends from the photography club. Percy swung by, and was giving Lydia the updates on Odessa (who had abruptly transferred schools, broken up with Benjamin, and rumors were circulating that she’d left the state). She listened only to be polite; the truth was, thinking about Odessa made Lydia think about her poltergeist, and she was trying to avoid that right now.

“Hey. You okay?” Percy asked suddenly.

Lydia grimaced. “Oh, uh. Yeah. Just didn’t sleep well last night.” She refocused on the boy, smiling at him. She and Percy had made out a few times, but that abruptly ended the moment Betelgeuse waltzed back into her life. Lydia was grateful that Percy was so chill; a different boy might have demanded to know why the make-outs had stopped, but not Percy. Or maybe he was just too awkward to ask.

“Oh, alright. Maybe, uh, try drinking decaf tea before bed? That’s what my mom does to sleep better.”

Lydia was nodding when something caught the corner of her eye. She had the unnerving feeling that she was being watched. Percy waved bye and walked off to join his nerdy friends, while Lydia’s eyes wandered over the cafeteria until coming to a stop.

At a separate table, sitting detached from a gaggle of girls, was a boy with enormous shoulders and closely-cropped brown hair. Lydia could see his green eyes even from a distance.

“I’ll be right back,” she told her friends hastily, before getting up and stalking over to the familiar boy. She was admittedly pleased to see him, but she needed to make sure that the poltergeist wasn’t going to cause any trouble. 

She slid into the seat across from the boy, looking at him expectantly. “Hello,” she said curtly, not entirely sure where she stood with him. After all, she hadn’t seen him since Saturday at the bar. They’d quarreled and shared a pretty intense kiss, and then he’d vanished. Lydia suspected it was Betelgeuse’s way of dealing with all these human emotions she was probably inflicting him with.

“Howdy, babes,” he grinned. His coarse smoker voice sounded wrong coming out of such a young, chiseled face. “Checkin’ me out?”

Lydia took in the details of his human mask. He blended in well, and if anything he looked like he should try out for the football team. “What are you doing here?” she hissed.

“Just checkin’ in on my little fiancé.”

“Couldn’t you have _checked in_ at a different time?”

Betelgeuse’s supernatural green eyes clashed with the rest of his normal, human face. It was almost hard to look at him with such jarring contrast. Lydia was starting to feel haunted by those aching green eyes.

“I missed ya,” he shrugged. The simple, short honesty took Lydia off guard. She missed him too, but wasn’t about to admit that to him. “Also I didn’t know if you were still mad at me.”

Lydia rolled her eyes. “I think I’m always in a state of being mad at you. The levels of mad just vary.”

“I’ll take it!” Betelgeuse leaned across the table with the intention of kissing her, but Lydia pulled back. Not only did she not want to start rumors about herself, but not a single part of her wanted to kiss Betelgeuse while he looked like a jock.

“Still mad?” the poltergeist pouted. 

Lydia decided that since he’d been honest with her, she’d be honest as well. “No. I just… Well. I’d rather kiss you in your… real form.”

Betelgeuse’s whole face lit up from this confession, making Lydia immediately regret it. Looking quite charmed, Betelgeuse swept to his feet and pulled Lydia after him. Even though he’d never been to this school before, he seemed to have it mapped out. 

The moment they were out of sight, Betelgeuse wrapped his arms around her and transported them to some kind of custodian closet. Lydia’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, but she recognized the looming shadow in front of her. It was tall, and certainly not human. Somehow his eyes glowed in the darkness.

“Ya think I’m _cute,_ babes?” he drawled, his arms tightening around her waist. 

Lydia squirmed a little, knocking into a couple of brooms. “ _No_ , I don’t.”

Betelgeuse nuzzled his face into her neck, temporarily causing Lydia’s heart to shudder. “Ya  _like_ the way I look, dontcha babes?” he purred against her skin.

Damn it. Her lower abdomen was heating up again from his affections. Lydia closed her eyes, unable to stop herself from thinking back to what he had told her at the bar. _I’ve been yours probably since I first fuckin’ saw ya.  
_

And then the words that made Lydia feel a little weak in the knees. _I’m just waiting for you to want to be mine.  
_

“I mean… you aren’t _bad_ looking…” Lydia admitted, deciding to give just a tiny bit.

Betelgeuse’s hands wound their way down her hips, dangerously close to a certain spot that was beginning to ache for him. “Ya think I’m _handsome_?” he teased, pushing her gently into the wall and wedging his knee in between her thighs. 

Lydia’s pulse was racing, and the way Betelgeuse’s knee was pushing against _certain_ things was making her feel a little lightheaded. Even though Lydia had never felt these things before for anyone, she immediately recognized what was happening. 

It probably had to do with the way Betelgeuse was so sweetly talking to her in that rough voice that promised so many things... or maybe just that Lydia liked his affections. But she decided to relent, and murmured, “Alright, alright… yes, I find you attractive. Are you happy now?”

“Mmm.” Betelgeuse playfully gave her a wet smooch on the cheek, making Lydia cry out in disgust. “I’m always happy when I’m with ya, babes.” 

Betelgeuse’s words made Lydia feel a little tingly. She suddenly wished that she didn’t have any afternoon classes, and imagined herself making out with Betelgeuse all afternoon instead. It was more tempting than she wanted to admit, but Lydia was able to push the poltergeist away.

As if on cue, the bell rang signaling that lunch was over. Lydia sensed that her face was very close to Betelgeuse’s in the dark. His green eyes were, as always, trained on her. “I gotta get back to classes,” she breathed. Even though Betelgeuse couldn’t read her mind, she was fairly certain he could tell that she didn’t want to leave.

“I’ll see you tonight babes,” he purred, and with a cold rush of air Lydia found herself alone in the closet. Internally she cursed Betelgeuse for leaving her alone in here, because she was _pretty sure_ he could have just transported her to her next class. Now she was going to look like an idiot clambering out of the hall closet.

Lydia carefully opened the door, and managed to sneak out without being noticed. But the moment she started walking, she came to a halt. Her cheeks raged with a blush that crept down her neck, and she hastily went to go find the bathroom.

Once locked in a stall, Lydia pulled off her underwear in dismay. Her underwear was _wet_. Something clenched inside of Lydia, and she had to close her eyes to steady herself. For the first time, Lydia had to admit to herself that she wanted to have sex with Betelgeuse.

It was a scary thought, since she was a virgin. She’d heard stories about losing your virginity, and she knew it would hurt. It was also a fairly irrational thought, since having sex with a poltergeist wasn’t even possible, _technically_ speaking. But something told her that it was very, _very_ possible, and something that Betelgeuse would happily oblige to.

She thought back to that very first night when she had accepted Betelgeuse’s deal. She distinctly recalled telling Betelgeuse that even if she _did_ marry him, there would be no _consummation_ of the marriage _._ And now here she was, her panties all wet just from the way he’d been talking to her. Jesus.

“I’m fucked,” Lydia sighed to herself, pulling out her phone and hoping that one of her friends had a change of underwear stashed in their locker.  



	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the ongoing support for this story! I love all of your reviews, they make my day! And for my readers whose lives are threatened by the lack of new chapters-- this is for you! :)

After dinner with her parents, Lydia traipsed up the stairs and pushed open the door to her room. Delia and Charles hadn’t exactly been pleased about the arrival of Stella, but nowadays Lydia just had to guilt them with the fact that they’d almost let her get married to a _poltergeist_ and they relented. Little did they know that the crimson stone on Lydia’s finger actually contradicted the sob story Lydia painted for them, but the less they knew the better.

She found Stella laying on the bed, jumping at a piece of string being pulled by Betelgeuse. He looked up sharply when the door pushed open, and immediately dropped the string. He hovered above Lydia’s bed, looking sheepish.

“Were you _playing_ with Stella?” Lydia asked, smirking.

“No. I hate cats,” the poltergeist retorted defensively, ignoring the way Stella meowed up at him to keep playing. 

Lydia let this one slide, mostly because she wanted to encourage Betelgeuse to play with Stella. Embarrassing him wasn’t the way to go about doing that. She turned on her TV, and put on a show that she knew Betelgeuse had taken a liking to. Predictably, the poltergeist floated back to Lydia’s bed with his eyes glued to the screen. Stella jumped on his shoulders, purring.

The girl crawled into bed, trying to keep her mind off of Betelgeuse’s proximity by working on homework. But her eyes kept creeping over to his hunched shoulders, and after she’d stolen enough glances Betelgeuse craned his neck towards her. Stella meowed in protest, his movement jostling the kitten from her spot.

“What’s up, babes?”

It was Lydia’s turn to be sheepish. She opened her mouth to say something, before snapping it closed and refocusing on her homework. In the background she heard the show pause, and Betelgeuse was crawling towards her on the bed. Lydia automatically shrank beneath him, her notebook falling to the floor as Betelgeuse placed both his hands on either side of her.

“You want my attention?” he guessed, giving her a lazy grin. 

Lydia felt hot under his steady gaze. “Uh… well. Actually, I had a… question.”

Betelgeuse lowered himself a little bit so that there were only a couple inches of air and the duvet separating their bodies. “Yesss?”

Lydia knew there was no right way to go about asking this, so she decided to just spit it out. “You can… I mean… you can _do it,_ right?” 

Of all the things Betelgeuse must have been expecting Lydia to ask him, she was certain he had _not_ expected that. The poltergeist hesitated for just a minute before regaining his composure. “Lydia, are you askin’ if I can fuck?”

She didn’t like the way his rough verbiage went straight to her abdomen. She couldn’t _help_ but think about what that word might sound like under different circumstances. “Well, not so vulgar, but yeah.”          

Betelgeuse looked down at her quizzically. “Why are ya askin, babes?”

She cleared her throat. “I mean… haven’t you thought about it… with me?”

The poltergeist was pleased with how straightforward Lydia was being with him. He could tell it took a toll on her to be so bold about such delicate topics. He didn’t want to scare her off by telling him that he’d had some pretty damning fantasies about her, but he also didn’t want her to think that he didn’t see her as an option sexually. Even if Betelgeuse was slow on the uptake when it came to feelings and shit, he was beginning to navigate the choppy waters of handling a young lady’s emotions. 

“Of course I have, doll-face,” he said patiently. “I’m not sorry ta say, but I’ve been checkin’ you out ever since we met. You’re a babe.” He playfully licked her cheek to wipe away the odd, serious look on Lydia’s face. His tactic work and she giggled, alleviating her teenage tension.

“You’re just saying that to make me blush,” Lydia said shyly.

Betelgeuse was pretty sure that Lydia’s poor excuse of parents had never properly grown her self-esteem, or even paid attention long enough to see how lovely she’d become. Betelgeuse was more than happy to shower his future wife in compliments, but he had to be careful. She didn’t know how to take compliments, and if he laid it on too thick she’d never believe him.

“I’m not,” he said, and it was Betelgeuse’s turn to be serious. “You’re beautiful, babes,” He nuzzled her neck again, the way he knew she liked. She was quiet, blushing under his sincere compliment. “And if you ever decide that you’d like to… do _that_ with me, well fuck. I’d be honored.” He shot her his most charming Jack-O-Lantern smile.            

Even though Betelgeuse always flirted with Lydia, this was the first time he’d ever called her _beautiful._ Lydia couldn’t help but be flattered, and she could tell he meant it. She shuddered a little from his cold body, which had dropped until he was covering her like a chilly blanket. 

“I think… I want to do that,” she said quietly, uncertainly. “Not now, of course. But… eventually.”

Betelgeuse ripped away the duvet that separated them, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Lydia’s arms found their natural spot around his neck, and they could both feel the heat changing between them. She liked the way his chin felt rough and prickly against her neck.

“I told ya,” he whispered in her ear, voice ragged. “I won’t touch ya until yer beggin’ me to.”

Lydia closed her eyes, fully aware of the effect that sentence had on her body. Ever since their fight at the bar, Lydia tried to let go of the voice that made her feel bad for liking the rough way Betelgeuse talked to her. She didn’t want to feel bad for liking the way he held her or kissed her.

Lydia shyly pulled away from him, and tugged off her shirt. She wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing, but she wanted Betelgeuse to really _see_ her. She knew he was being patient with her, in that moment all she wanted to feel his cold hands on her skin.

Betelgeuse watched her carefully, only moving to help her when the shirt got caught in her hair. He was letting Lydia take charge of what she wanted, which made her feel a little bit more like a woman and less of a girl. 

She squirmed beneath him, wearing only her black jeans and black bra. It wasn’t a particularly sexy bra, and Lydia regretted not wearing the lacy black one she had tucked away. But this morning when she was getting dressed, she hadn’t known that Betelgeuse would be seeing her bra later.           

Lydia sheepishly raised her eyes to meet Betelgeuse’s. She was effectively caged by his hands on opposite sides of her, his body leaning above hers so there were a few inches of space between them. Betelgeuse didn’t move for a few seconds, his eyes _slowly_ running down her body. Even though Lydia was still half clothed, the way he was looking at her made her feel naked. She felt her cheeks heating up from the attention.

Even though it was only mere seconds that Betelgeuse was frozen, Lydia couldn’t help but wonder if she’d made a mistake. She started as if to sit up, when a cold hand dug into her shoulder and pushed her back into the mattress. Before she could admonish him, the poltergeist started kissing her all the way from her neck to her stomach.

Up until this point, he’d been careful not to touch Lydia’s breasts, but his self-control only stretched so far. Betelgeuse’s calloused hands played with the fabric of her bra, making Lydia squirm. She could tell from the gleam in his eyes that he was purposefully going slow. His thumb teased away the bra, running along the edge of her nipple.

Lydia closed her eyes, unable to keep a low moan from escaping her. Betelgeuse growled low in his throat, groaning in frustration and twisting the sheets with his other hand. Lydia felt the hardness that was momentarily rubbed against her from Betelgeuse’s movement, causing even more friction between them.

Betelgeuse snaked one hand beneath her, pressing her into him and using the other hand to push her bra to the side. His tongue teased her nipple, causing her lower half to thrum with want.

She leaned into his embrace, and this time Betelgeuse took her breast into his mouth. While he lavished one breast with his tongue, his hand found the other and squeezed it _hard_.

Betelgeuse’s sexual frustration was teetering dangerously on the edge of insanity. Lydia turned him on _so easily,_ all it took was a sweet little moan from her and he was hard as a rock. He’d never wanted to fuck _anyone_ this badly. Something about her made Betelgeuse’s body act like a horny, love-struck teenager all over again.

He found himself _panting_ even though he didn’t need oxygen. He thrust himself against Lydia, hard enough to make her headboard clap against the wall. Betelgeuse growled from the moan this drew from Lydia, and he imagined fucking her _hard_ with the clap of the headboard marking his every thrust. 

He kept lavishing her breasts with his mouth, paying special attention to her nipples, which seemed to be extra sensitive. Betelgeuse had no idea what he had done to deserve this reward, but he wasn’t going to question it. Lydia had taken her shirt off all on her own, presenting herself to him. She was, slowly but surely, learning to trust her future husband.

“Lydia,” he moaned, his mouth full of her breast. Lydia seemed to like that, and arched up into him. He lost himself for a second and bit down _hard_ onto her breast. Lydia cried out but she didn’t tell him to stop. Betelgeuse’s eyes widened with a wicked realization; she _liked_ when he was rough with her.

He pulled back from his future bride, admiring the bite mark on her left breast. She was sure going to bruise from that. _Marking my property,_ he thought darkly, returning to swipe his tongue over her nipple.

There came a sudden sharp knocking on the door. Betelgeuse’s lust flared into rage when he recognized Adam’s voice coming through the closed door. “Lydia? Are you okay? We thought we heard you crying out?”

The door suddenly locked, and Betelgeuse couldn’t help but cackle into Lydia’s neck. Lydia, quite flustered, tried to sit up but Betelgeuse pinned her back down and sucked even harder on her breast.

“I’m fine Adam! I just –– uh,” Lydia stammered, her brain going haywire from the way Betelgeuse’s tongue was working her nipple. She had to think of something _fast_ that would make Adam go away before he forced himself in. “I got my period, and I got blood on my favorite pair of underwear!”

She could practically hear the way Adam jerked back from the door. There was nothing quite like the mention of period blood that warded off a father-figure. “Uh, sorry. Do you need Barbara?”

“I’m–– _mmph,”_ Lydia struggled when Betelgeuse’s teasing finger on her right nipple was replaced by his mouth. “I’m fine!”

“Okay, uh, let us know if you need anything!”

The moment Adam’s presence vanished, Betelgeuse temporarily released her breasts and cackled. Lydia would have smacked him if she’d been in a different headspace, but didn’t have it in her at the moment. She kissed Betelgeuse to shut him up, arching up into him and enjoying the way her movement made him groan.

Betelgeuse broke the kiss first, his face full of regret as he hovered a few inches away from Lydia. “Listen babes,” he rumbled. “If we keep, uh, goin’ at it, I can’t promise that I’ll be able ta stop.”

“I can handle it,” Lydia insisted, jutting out her chin. 

He just grinned lecherously down at her, and tapped her nose with his finger. “Not yet you can’t.”


	18. Chapter 18

During school, Lydia was usually too busy to let her thoughts wander towards her poltergeist. She stayed true to Barbara’s wishes and never let the poltergeist interfere with her classwork. Well, mostly true. Barbara didn’t need to know about the couple of times Betelgeuse showed up in his human skin and flirted with her. She always sent him away, albeit reluctantly.

Her focus on school was abruptly broken one afternoon in science class, when Lydia’s teacher was reviewing the solar system with them. He showed them a video that compared the size of each planet and star, which showed the Earth being laughably tiny. Lydia’s fascination stuttered when the video pulled back once again to show the ninth-brightest star in the night sky: “Betelgeuse.”

Lydia wanted to hate the way that name sent a thrill down her spine. She listened as the narrator in the video explain that Betelgeuse was the second-brightest in the constellation of Orion. The Earth’s sun was literally a dust speck compared to the size of this star. 

She wondered if Betelgeuse had been named after this star. Knowing him, he’d just swagger and say that the star had been named after _him._ Once again Lydia found herself wondering about the ghost’s past; had that been his name when he was alive? She remembered her observation about Betelgeuse looking relatively unharmed compared to the other ghosts at the Netherworld bar. Had he drowned like Barbara and Adam? 

Lydia was unable to get her thoughts back on track for the rest of the afternoon. Once she arrived at home she headed towards her room, expecting Betelgeuse to be there like usual. But to her surprise, when she opened her bedroom door it was Barbara sitting on her bed.       

“Oh, hi Barbara,” Lydia said, shrugging off her backpack. She noted the oddly serious look on the woman’s face and asked, “Everything okay?”

Barbara smoothed out her dress, briefly avoiding eye contact with the girl. “Lydia,” she said, pausing. “I wanted to talk to you about Beetle.”

Over the past several weeks, Barbara had taken to referring to Betelgeuse this way. Lydia was pretty sure she didn’t like saying the poltergeist’s full name. She took a deep breath and inched her way towards the mattress. She’d been expecting this conversation for a while now.

“Okay,” Lydia agreed, settling down cross-legged next to Barbara. “What’s up?”

Barbara narrowed her eyes down at Lydia, and not for the first time Lydia felt very small under that look. She was never intimidated by her actual parents, but just one look from Barbara or Adam and Lydia knew she was in trouble. “Lydia,” the ghost said, her voice patient. “I want you to tell me what’s going on with him.”

Lydia blanched. She couldn’t exactly tell Barbara about the other night, but something told her that Barbara somehow already knew. She was silent for a few moments, trying to collect her thoughts. It was something that even _she_ hadn’t taken the time to properly access. What _was_ going on with Betelgeuse? 

“I…” She faltered, knowing that Barbara was going to be shocked by her next words. “Barbara… I like him.”

Barbara nodded knowingly, looking a little grim. Lydia had steeled herself for waterworks or a lecture, but Barbara didn’t even seem surprised by this. Barbara didn’t say anything, clearly waiting for Lydia to continue. She did so, her voice shaking a little bit.

“I know it’s crazy,” she whispered, staring down at her hands. “Because I know that he seems evil to you and Adam. And I know he haunted my dad and Delia. But you haven’t seen… there’s so much I want to explain to you. It’s so hard to put into words.”

Barbara closed her eyes. “Actually… I have seen something.” Lydia tilted her head questioningly. The ghost took another breath, before saying, “The night you were crying because of that horrible girl at your school. You cried yourself to sleep, and I stayed with you. Beetle came back very late… and I talked to him.”

Lydia’s eyes widened. She didn’t like remembering that night, but she definitely didn’t realize that Barbara and Betelgeuse had interacted after she’d fallen asleep. Without prompting, Barbara continued.

“He was so mad at that girl,” Barbara murmured. “I was deathly afraid that he’d killed her. But he didn’t… because of you. And I could see that he was protecting you.” Barbara reached out, gently cupping Lydia’s chin. “I don’t like him, Lydia. But that night, I saw more of him than I’ve ever seen before. And it wasn’t… evil.”

At that moment, there came a little _mrrow_ from the corner. Stella slowly stretched, blinking sleepily up at Lydia and Barbara. Their conversation must have woken up the kitten. Stella had grown a lot even in the past few weeks, and she jumped easily onto Lydia’s bed. 

Barbara smiled down at the creature, scratching Stella behind the ears. “Lydia,” she said, her expression morphing into a frown. “I just need to ask you to be careful.”

Lydia pulled her knees up to her chest. “He would never hurt me, Barbara,” she said softly. 

“I know, I know,” Barbara sighed. “But… he’s not like Percy. He’s not just… another boy. He’s much older and more experienced than you. You need to be careful with that.”

It dawned on Lydia that she was receiving a sex talk. It wasn’t her first; a few years ago, her parents had awkwardly tripped over themselves while explaining sex, and kept bringing up birds and bees. Lydia had really figured it out on her own, but she couldn’t help but appreciate Barbara’s concern.

“Barbara…”

“I know that you’re a smart girl,” Barbara said firmly. “But it’s a lot to take on, and I just don’t want him to hurt you. Even if he doesn’t mean to.”

Lydia’s cheeks were burning. Somehow this was worse than when her actual parents had tried this. Probably because Barbara was much more effective at it. “How is Adam doing with all of this?” she asked uneasily.

Barbara shook her head, the smallest of smiles on her lips. “Well, he sees you as a daughter. We both do, but he’s struggling with it. Even though I’ve tried to explain some of the things I’ve observed, he doesn’t trust the guy.”

Stella had curled up in Lydia’s lap, purring under the girl’s attention. Lydia was grateful to have Stella there as a buffer, so Barbara couldn’t see her expression. It made her feel guilty that Adam was struggling with all of this. She didn’t want to put him in that position.

“You know we love you, Lydia,” Barbara said gently. “Adam isn’t mad at you. I think he’s just confused. You should try to talk to him.”

“Is he worried that Betelgeuse is going to hurt me?” she asked, her voice wavering.

“I think he’s worried that Beetle will break your heart. And then we’ll be left to pick up the pieces.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” Lydia insisted.

Barbara tenderly pushed a lock of black hair away from Lydia’s eyes, tucking it behind the girl’s ear. She met Lydia’s eyes, smiling sadly at her. “I don’t think he would do it on purpose,” she murmured. “But what you’re getting yourself into here is very complicated, Lydia. It’s a lot to get into such an intense relationship when you’re only sixteen.”

“I know,” she sighed. She chewed contemplatively on her lip. “Do you think… should I stop seeing him?” Lydia wasn’t sure what to call whatever was going on between her and Betelgeuse, but it made her stomach clench to imagine never seeing him again. She had no idea what she’d do if Barbara asked her to stop seeing the poltergeist.   

Barbara reached out, pulling Lydia’s hand into hers. She ran a finger over the crimson ring perched on the girl’s hand. Even though Delia had failed to notice it, Barbara hadn’t. She knew exactly what it was.

“If you did, it would certainly alleviate the time Adam and I worry about you,” Barbara admitted. At this Lydia dropped her eyes, ashamed. Barbara pulled the girl’s chin up again, adding, “ _But,_ I also know that I’ve never seen you this happy before. And I think you’ve been a good influence on him. He’s certainly been less destructive with you around.”

Lydia hesitated, before reaching out to touch Barbara’s hand. “Thanks, Barbara,” she said softly. Charles and Delia hadn’t exactly been great at teaching communication, so situations like these left Lydia feeling awkward. But she tried to push through it for Barbara. There was more she’d like to say, but didn’t have the right words. 

Barbara stayed a little longer, chatting about how Lydia’s classes were going. Barbara also mentioned that she wanted to celebrate Lydia’s upcoming birthday together, which Lydia reluctantly agreed to. Eventually her figure flickered, and after bidding Lydia a goodnight she returned to the attic.

Lydia wasn’t left alone with her thoughts for long. She felt the temperature in her room drop, and when she glanced over at the mirror her reflection was foggy. Her heart jumped to the base of her throat when a familiar silhouette shifted into her room. 

“Hiya, babes,” Betelgeuse rumbled, walking over to Lydia’s bed with his hands in his pockets. In the low light of her room, the poltergeist’s eyes glowed. Lydia had to suppress a shiver; sometimes she was still struck by Betelgeuse’s supernatural qualities. They were charmingly eerie.

“Hey,” she said shyly. The last time they’d been alone in this room together, Lydia had been _sans_ shirt and bra.

Most nights Betelgeuse would jokingly shove her aside and hog the bed, but tonight he hovered. He leaned down to kiss Lydia’s forehead; the goth couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment from the chaste kiss. She could tell he wasn’t staying tonight. He didn’t stay with her every night, but it still left her feeling a tiny bit deflated.

“Not staying?” Lydia guessed, forcing herself to smile.

The ghost shook his head. She couldn’t remember the last time Betelgeuse had gone this long without cracking some kind of inappropriate joke. “Not tonight, sweet cheeks,” he said ruefully. “Your hubby’s got some business to attend to.”

Lydia cocked her head. “That sounds suspiciously like you’re going to kill someone. Also you’re not my… _hubby,”_ she said in disgust, screwing up her face and sticking out her tongue like the word made her feel sick. 

Betelgeuse shot her a cheeky grin. “Damn. I was hoping if I kept sayin’ it you’d start believin’ it.” Lydia rolled her eyes, but he didn’t miss the way she smiled. He was pretty damn sure she was starting to like it when he teased her like that.

“Goodnight, _not husband,_ ” Lydia retorted, settling down in her bed. Stella curled up in the crook of the girl’s arm.

Betelgeuse snapped his fingers, and the lights in her room turned off. He paused in her doorframe, catching a glimpse of the moonlight streaming into the room and painting Lydia in an ethereal glow. “Goodnight, _wife,_ ” he replied sweetly, knowing it would annoy her.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy balls! Over 3600 hits and 330 kudos! I love you guys. Thank you for all of your amazing reviews and support to this story. I'm having so much fun sharing it with you all! Have a great week!

The poltergeist closed Lydia’s door before she could throw anything at him, and smirked to himself. The smirk vanished as he tilted his eyes up towards the attic, which was his next stop. He grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. _Goddamn it.  
_

Betelgeuse could have just conjured himself in the Maitland’s precious attic, which would have given them a fright. But out of the newfound and _very_ grudging respect he had for Barbara, the poltergeist walked up the stairs like a goddamn human. He muttered obscenities under his breath until coming to a stop at their locked door. 

He knew that the Maitlands could sense his presence, but still he knocked. A polite-ish knock didn’t prompt the door to open, so Betelgeuse knocked incessantly until the door flew open to reveal Adam. 

“Demon,” Adam greeted him in lieu of his real name.

Betelgeuse ground his teeth together. Adam here was _really_ lucky that Lydia cared about him. Instead of flipping Adam inside out, Betelgeuse’s eye twitched and a small fire erupted in Adam’s model cemetery. 

Adam cursed and went to put out the flames. Betelgeuse’s eyes shifted to Barbara, who seemed nonplussed by the fire and had her arms folded across her chest. She met the poltergeist’s gaze steadily. _Fuck, she’s really getting stronger,_ Betelgeuse noted, torn between annoyance and admiration. Weaker ghosts broke off eye contact after a few seconds with him.

“Hiya, Babs,” Betelgeuse said brightly.

She pointed her head at the fire, and the poltergeist groaned. He snapped his fingers and the fire vanished, leaving the cemetery untouched. Adam looked at it in disbelief for a second before turning to glare at Betelgeuse. He held up his hands as if claiming innocence. 

“What can we do for you, Beetle?” Barbara inquired, folding her arms.

“Aw, Babs, come on. None of that,” Betelgeuse protested, pointing at her folded arms. “I come in peace. Alright?” A little white flag was summoned from thin air that Betelgeuse waved around jokingly. When no one cracked a smile, he threw the flag to the ground like a toddler on the verge of a tantrum. _At least Lydia appreciates my humor.  
_

“Alright, alright. I happened to, ah, overhear some of your conversation with Lydia.”

“Why were you eavesdropping on them?” Adam asked accusingly.

Betelgeuse bared his teeth at Adam. “It wasn’t on purpose, and if you interrupt me again it won’t just be your fuckin’ toys that catch fire.” The poltergeist caught himself and growled in frustration, taking in a deep breath even though he didn’t need the oxygen. 

“Sorry,” he bit out, every one of his instincts screaming at him to do something violent. _Do it for Lydia. For. Lydia._ His more cynical instincts had to wonder if this was even worth it.

“Look, what I’m here to say is that I’m not fuckin’ around with Lydia’s feelings. I’m not here to ask fer a blessin’ or anything. But I need both of you to know that I’m not going to hurt her.”

Barbara exchanged a look with Adam. Adam took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t want to talk about this with you,” he said curtly. Barbara crossed the room and whispered something in her husband’s ear. Adam glanced at Betelgeuse and whispered something back to her.

“Subtle,” Betelgeuse muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes.

“I’ll be right back,” Barbara said pointedly, sweeping past Betelgeuse and vanishing downstairs. That left Betelgeuse and Adam alone together. The two ghosts had never been completely alone before. It was significantly awkward.

“Alright, Beetle. Let’s talk man to man.” Adam paused, reconsidering. “Or ghost to ghost. Whichever you prefer.”

Betelgeuse ambled towards Adam. “Sure, I love man talk.”

Without warning, Adam shoved a finger at Betelgeuse’s chest. “You don’t deserve Lydia. Not now, not ever. I hope you know that.”

Betelgeuse theatrically cried out in pain, rubbing his chest dejectedly. “ _Ow_! Yes, I’m aware of that, Adam.”

The frustration on Adam’s face slowly melted into a somber color. “Lydia is… she’s the daughter that Barbara and I will never have.” Adam’s voice faltered. “So we’re… we’re a little overprotective.”

For the first time with Adam, Betelgeuse dropped the act. He folded his arms across his chest, sizing Adam up. Even though Adam was rather _annoying,_ he was a good father figure to Lydia. And even though Betelgeuse had a history of picking ladies with daddy issues, he liked the newfound strength in Lydia. She wasn’t broken, but she definitely deserved to have a few pieces shined up. Adam’s presence in her life certainly helped with that.

“Look, Adam. You and Barbara aren’t the only ones who care about Lydia,” he said impatiently. If it had been under different circumstances, Betelgeuse would have cackled at the comical way that Adam’s eyes bugged out of his sockets.

It took Adam a second to gather himself. “You’re not seriously trying to tell me that you love that girl.”

Betelgeuse screwed his eyes shut. “Look, it’s not like I _planned_ this. But yeah, I’m fuckin’ fallin’ for her gothic ass and I figured you should know. Even though it’s technically none of your business,” he added in an attempt to make himself feel better.

Adam stared at the poltergeist in shock. “Do you even know what love _is_?”

Betelgeuse met Adam’s blue eyes, feeling strangely calm. “I’m still learnin’,” he said gruffly. “I know you don’t like me, Adam, and frankly I don’t care. But since Lydia _does_ care about ya, I figured I owed ya an honest explanation.”

Adam took a sudden step towards the poltergeist, taking the Beetle off guard for once. “She’s just a kid! She doesn’t need someone like you messing with her future.”

There was real anger in Adam’s eyes that both startled and pleased the poltergeist. He enjoyed seeing the hidden spark in Adam. So often he seemed to align to what Barbara instructed, but seeing Adam on fire like this almost made Betelgeuse _like_ him.

“I’m not messing with her future,” Betelgeuse said curtly. “I promised Barbara that I wouldn’t interfere with her school. And I’m not going to stop her from going to college or anything.”

“Your promises are pretty empty to me,” Adam snapped.

This earned a quick flare-up from the poltergeist. His expression darkened and he hovered a few feet off the ground. “Oh, really? Like the promise I made to Lydia to save you and Bab’s wretched vanilla souls from eternal damnation? Is _that_ the empty promise you’re referring to?” he snarled.

Adam stood resolute in the face of Betelgeuse’s rising anger. He’d be a liar if he said he wasn’t afraid of Betelgeuse, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to show it. And the truth was that Betelgeuse was right. Not only had Betelgeuse kept Lydia’s promise to save him and Barbara, but when they had first summoned him to get rid of the Deetz he had fulfilled his obligation to them as well.

Adam folded his arms. It certainly wasn’t a pleasant thought that he owed Betelgeuse his, ah, current life as a ghost. If it hadn’t been for the Beetle, he and Barbara would have been exorcised and damned to the Lost Souls room. It was because of Betelgeuse that Adam could still spend eternity with the woman he loved, and enjoy being a parental figure to Lydia. 

“Alright, fine. Your promises aren’t empty,” Adam finally relented, sighing. “But I still don’t like you, and I don’t approve of you being around Lydia. She’s just a kid.”

“You keep saying that,” Betelgeuse growled. “But you’re insulting her. She’s smarter and more mature than any of the adults in this house, _including_ the dead ones. And it’s not like I’m forcing her to marry me–– _this time,_ ” he added hastily, seeing Adam’s dark expression. “It’s completely in her control.”

“I know how smart and mature she is,” Adam retorted. “What I’m saying is that she’s a teenager. She should be hanging out with other boys her age.”

Betelgeuse fixed Adam with a withering stare. “You _really_ want Lydia hanging around a hormonal, immature sixteen-year-old boy? Don’t you remember how you were at that age?”

“Well you’re not much better,” Adam said without missing a beat, readjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. 

Betelgeuse feigned theatrical hurt. “Oh, _Adam._ You wound me!”

Adam shook his head. “I just don’t think I’m ever going to understand you. And I’m never going to be okay with you seeing her.”

The poltergeist floated over to the model town, where he inspected the cemetery. His old stomping grounds. It was pretty wild to consider how much had changed since Betelgeuse had started haunting Adam’s tiny cemetery.

“Well like I said, I’m not here for your blessing,” Betelgeuse intoned, flicking away a bug from the model. “But I want you to know I’m not going to hurt her.” His feet returned to the dusty attic floorboards, where he glanced over at Adam.

The young ghost was staring at Betelgeuse with an unreadable expression behind his spectacles. “How do I know you aren’t just messing with me?” Adam asked slowly. 

Betelgeuse cocked his head. “Do _you_ think I’m messin’ with you?”

Adam swallowed hard, before looking away and subtly shaking his head. “Unfortunately, no. I believe you’re telling the truth.” He hesitated for a long moment, appearing to be at war with himself, before slowly extending his hand to the poltergeist. 

Betelgeuse stared at Adam’s hand suspiciously. “You gonna shock me or something?”

“No, it just seems like… the way to end a man-to-man conversation,” Adam shrugged. Betelgeuse obliged and shook Adam’s hand. He wasn’t really sure what they were shaking over, but by the end of it, Betelgeuse hated Adam a little bit less. He was willing to bet that Adam felt the same way.

“I think you mean a ghost-to-poltergeist conversation,” Betelgeuse retorted cheekily right before vanishing.    



	20. Chapter 20

If there was one thing Lydia would grudgingly compliment Delia on, it was that she was pretty decent with gardening. Even though Lydia had liked the weeds that choked out the backyard when they moved in, Delia took it upon herself to establish weed-free gardens.  

Since then, the backyard had been transformed into a picturesque array of gardens. Some of her stepmother’s grotesque sculptures had become “garden sculptures” and found their way outside, perched between hollyhock and daisies. Towards the end of the garden grew an old, gnarled tree that Charles considered an eyesore, but never got around to scheduling it to be cut down. Naturally this became a favorite spot for Lydia to read.

She was perched between the roots of the tree, lost in a book when she felt familiar goosebumps dance down her arms. She decided to pretend that she didn’t notice, and kept her eyes trained on the book. 

Someone cleared their throat behind Lydia, but still she didn’t react. Abruptly the book was snatched away, and Lydia rolled her eyes. Betelgeuse stood in front of her, looking at the book in disgust. 

“How dare you ignore me,” he drawled, tossing the book over his shoulder despite Lydia’s protests.

“You’re going to get my book dirty!” she said crossly.

"Oh, babes, I’ll replace it with a thousand other books.”

“What if I want two thousand books?” 

Betelgeuse stretched out in the grass next to her, folding his arms behind his head. In lieu of his typical stripes, today Betelgeuse was sporting another three-piece vest combo. This time the vest was a silky crimson that matched Lydia’s ring. To her amusement, his bowtie had little plastic beetles glued to it.

“You know I’ll give you anything you desire, babes,” Betelgeuse said drowsily, closing his eyes. Lydia stretched out on the grass next to him, laying on her stomach and propping her chin up with her hands. 

“Will you give me a star?” she teased.

“Of course, babes,” Betelgeuse rumbled.

“Will you give me the star you’re named after?”

Betelgeuse scratched at a bit of moss on his jaw. “Of course. I’ll take you there if you’d like.” His eyes suddenly opened and he propped himself up with his elbow. “That reminds me. The other night I heard Babs mention yer birthday is comin’ up?”

“Yeah, in a few weeks. _Don’t_ get any ideas,” Lydia said sharply, ripping absently at the grass. “I don’t like my birthday.”

“Aw, babes. What kind of future husband would I be if I didn’t take my girl away somewhere nice for her birthday?”

Lydia tried to bring herself to resent the way he so boldly assumed he’d become her husband, but a tiny part of her liked being called _his girl._ She waved away the silly thought and did her best to fix Betelgeuse with a deadly stare. “No birthday stuff,” she intoned.

“Are you tryna intimidate me? That’s adorable.”

“I’m serious! I don’t like the attention and I’ve had a lot of bad birthdays.”

Betelgeuse grabbed her, dragging Lydia on top of him. Their sudden proximity sent blood rushing to Lydia’s cheeks, and she couldn’t help but remember the first date he’d taken her on. They’d kissed in this exact position.

“I’m in charge here,” Betelgeuse growled. “I’m takin’ my future wife somewhere for her birthday. And yer just gonna have ta deal with it.”

_Goddamn it._ Lydia’s cursed nether regions had started to get all hot and bothered every time Betelgeuse established dominance these days. She sighed, allowing herself to momentarily relax on the poltergeist’s broad chest. 

“Guess I’ll just be your prisoner,” she said sarcastically. Betelgeuse’s eyes flashed and Lydia realized what she had really said. Betelgeuse leaned in to her closely, running his hands over her waist.

“Are you sayin’ yer my property?” he asked roughly, getting a wild look in his eyes. Lydia breathed in sharply, his rough words yet again going straight to her abdomen. 

“Of course not,” she said, trying to sound annoyed but it came out breathless.

“I’ll buy you every book in the world if you tell me right now that yer my property,” Betelgeuse growled, tightening his grip on her waist. Lydia was all too aware of the growing tension between them, and suddenly she was plagued with images of Betelgeuse fucking her right here in the garden.

It took a great deal of self-control for her to say, “Absolutely not.” Completely contradicting her words, Lydia felt herself bending down to kiss Betelgeuse. Just as their lips brushed, Delia’s voice cut through the peace of the gardens.

“Lydia! Dinner!”

Betelgeuse snarled in frustration when Lydia broke away from him. “I’m coming!” she hollered. Before heading back to the house, Lydia looked back at Betelgeuse. He was sitting up now, with bits of grass in his hair. The way he was looking at her was almost enough to propel the girl back into his arms.

“I gotta go,” she said apologetically.

Betelgeuse stood up, brushing grass off his pants. He walked over to where he’d thrown Lydia’s book, which she’d almost forgotten about. The poltergeist handed Lydia back her book, but not before stealing a quick, savage kiss.

“You’re a tease,” he whispered after breaking the kiss. Lydia was too dazed to even disagree with him. Betelgeuse wiggled his bowtie for her just before Delia yelled for her again. When Lydia turned back around, her poltergeist was gone.   
              
  
                                                                                                               *          *          *  
           

The next few weeks passed by at their usual pace, and the day Lydia always dreaded finally arrived. This year her seventeenth birthday fell on a Thursday, and luckily there were two big exams the following day that Lydia could use as an excuse for not having a birthday party.

Charles and Delia shockingly remembered her seventeenth, and a few finely wrapped gifts awaited Lydia on the dining room table with a little note. But naturally, her parents were nowhere to be found. Barbara and Adam’s enthusiasm more than made up for her parent’s absence, and they each had a few gifts for Lydia as well. 

No one at school except for Percy knew that it was Lydia’s birthday, and she had sworn him to secrecy months ago. Percy got her socks with black cats on it, which Lydia loved but she made a mental note to make sure Betelgeuse didn’t find them. She didn’t want the socks to have the same unfortunate end that her favorite underwear had. 

The only birthday greeting she’d been looking forward to all day was waiting for her at home. Lydia opened the door to her house and was immediately swept up in a pair of strong, cold arms. She squeaked in surprise, dropping her keys in the process. 

“Happy birthday babes,” Betelgeuse rumbled, pressing a sloppy kiss onto her cheek. Lydia giggled, pretending to be grossed out. She squirmed to be let down, which Betelgeuse reluctantly allowed. While Lydia smoothed out her skirt, something on the table caught her eye.

“Are those–– _dead_ roses?” she asked, staring with wide eyes at the colorful bouquet of wilted roses.

Betelgeuse looked down at her nervously. “Uh, yeah. Sorry, it was a dumb idea––”

“I love them,” she breathed, walking over and smelling them. Betelgeuse watched her, shaking his head. _What an adorable fuckin’ weirdo.  
_

Sitting next to the dead roses was a box wrapped with what appeared to be a snakeskin. Fascinated, Lydia delicately broke the skin and nudged open the lid. Inside was a chocolate frosted cake covered with plastic beetles. _Happy Birthday Lydia_ was written in blood-red, loopy frosting between the beetles.

“Did you make this?” Lydia asked, very quietly.

Wondering if he’d done something wrong, Betelgeuse tried to downplay it. “Nah, I didn’t make it per se. I mean, I _conjured_ it up, which technically is makin’ it but––”

Lydia turned around shyly, looking up at him. Her eyes sparkled like stars. It took all of Betelgeuse’s strength to not melt when she looked at him like that. _Goddamn it. The Ghost with the Most is not supposed to feel all mushy inside!_

“Thank you,” she murmured. “I love all of it.”

Betelgeuse delicately picked her up, and placed her on the table so that they were closer to the same height. “Let me take you away this weekend,” he asked plaintively, ghosting his fingers across her thighs. His touch sent goosebumps blossoming up her arms.

“I don’t know… you really don’t need to make a big deal over it,” Lydia replied, her voice hushed.

Betelgeuse ever so gently held her neck with one hand, running his fingers over her jaw. He could feel Lydia’s pulse jumping beneath his touch at the base of her throat. He ran his thumb carefully over her jawline. He’d put his hands on plenty of women, but with Lydia he wanted to be gentle.

He practically purred in satisfaction when Lydia leaned into his hand. “Maybe I want to make a big deal over it,” he returned smoothly. Sometimes it still amazed him that Lydia let him touch her like this, let alone allowed him to see her half-naked. It was hard to believe how much their relationship had already changed in just the last few months.

Lydia chewed on her lip, contemplating. “I have two exams tomorrow. But I’m free to go somewhere after school. I’ll just have to make something up to my dad and Delia,” she finally relented. Betelgeuse broke out in a huge grin, pressing another noisy kiss on Lydia’s cheek. She cried out in mock disgust, but couldn’t help but reflect his excitement.

“You won’t regret it, babes!” he declared.

Lydia moved as if to scramble down from the table, but she was pushed back into place by Betelgeuse. He slipped one hand behind her head, tangling his fingers in her hair and guiding her lips to meet his. Some of their kisses were chaste, while others were quick and violent. This one, however was new to Lydia.

Betelgeuse kissed her almost _tenderly,_ each kiss purposeful and filled with affection. This time it was Lydia who was a little stunned from their kiss. They moved apart, briefly looking away from each other in a shared awkwardness. Betelgeuse cleared his throat while Lydia focused on her shoes, trying to swallow her girlish smile. 

“Want to open my parent’s presents with me and make fun of them?” Lydia finally asked, breaking the uncharacteristically shy silence between them.

“I’d be honored,” Betelgeuse sniggered.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are seriously awesome. I feel like I keep saying thank you and you guys just amaze me again! Seriously I'm having so much fun writing this and I really do appreciate everyone leaving their thoughts and kudos. It means so much to me. 
> 
> On a side note, happy fall! Time for spooky shenanigans and an excuse to go watch Beetlejuice!

Betelgeuse paced in Lydia’s room, impatiently waiting for his fiancée to arrive. Stella wouldn’t leave him alone, so he killed time by playing with her. He was dangling Stella’s favorite toy over her head, a fluffy spider swinging from a pole, when Betelgeuse heard a car in the driveway. 

Unabashedly, Betelgeuse hurried to the window. Sure enough, his little goth was home. Betelgeuse heard a loud _meow_ and swung around to face Stella. She stared up at him, and Betelgeuse wasn’t imagining the judgement in her eyes.

“Listen here, missy,” the poltergeist said, pointing a finger at her. “Just because I get excited like a dog when Lydia gets home does _not_ mean she’s my owner.” Stella ignored his reasoning, and just batted playfully at his extended finger.

He heard Lydia open the door downstairs, where Delia greeted her. It had been depressingly easy for Lydia to give them an excuse of where she’d be all weekend. She’d told them she was staying with a friend. If anything they were just pleased to hear that she’d be getting out of the house for something other than school.

Lydia pushed open her bedroom door, cooing at Stella and sweeping the kitten into her arms. Betelgeuse glared at both of them, clearing his throat pointedly. Lydia looked up, startled. “Oh, hey B. I didn’t see you there.”

“How’d your exams go?”

Lydia nuzzled her face into Stella’s warm fur, baby talking her. Betelgeuse couldn’t help but feel little pricks of jealousy that the stupid cat was getting more attention than him. “Good. I think I did well on them.”

Betelgeuse strode towards her, folding his arms. “When do _I_ get that kind of greeting?” he asked grumpily, staring daggers at the kitten.

Lydia grinned and put Stella on her bed. “When you’re cuter than a kitten.”

“That’s not fair! There’s nothing cuter than a kitten!” Betelgeuse exclaimed.

Betelgeuse helped send Lydia’s bags to her Beetle, and after she fed Stella they were good to go. Lydia went through the motions of saying goodbye to Delia, kissing her on the cheek and promising to be back at a reasonable hour Sunday night. Betelgeuse had turned invisible behind Lydia’s back, and used this as an opportunity to make faces at Delia. 

“Tell my dad I say bye okay?”

Delia was in the midst of arranging her sculpting tools into plastic pins. “Sure thing, darling. Just have fun with your friend okay? It’s so exciting! Spending the weekend with a _friend_ and not those old ghosts in the attic.”

The irony of Delia's words was not lost on Lydia. She just rolled her eyes. “ _Okay Delia,_ see you later.”

And with that, Lydia and Betelgeuse were off. The moment they got into the car and Betelgeuse climbed into the driver’s seat, Lydia realized she hadn’t asked a very important question. “Um, are we able to get to our destination in this car?”

The car purred to life once again under the poltergeist’s touch. He just grinned mischievously at Lydia, throwing the car into drive. “Sure babes. Remember? I’m the Ghost with the Most.”

Betelgeuse guided her car onto the highway, and at first the exits looked fairly normal. But then Lydia noticed that the exit signs changed color, and appeared to be constructed by skeletons. Each exit had a different unusual name; _Exit 65 to The First Ring of Hell, Exit 66 to The Ghoulboy Mansion, Exit 67 to Hellfire Park.  
_

Lydia looked over at Betelgeuse. “Where are we?”

“Headed to our destination, babes.”

Lydia didn’t understand how they had seamlessly left behind the highway from her world, but she was quickly learning with Betelgeuse to stop asking so many questions. It was human nature, but maybe it was time to accept that there just weren’t answers to some of the weird stuff in their universe.

The billboards were different too, advertising fang-dentists and plastic surgery for people who had died in a particularly gory fashion. The highway was mostly empty, but a few strange looking vehicles passed by them. Lydia glanced over at one, and found herself looking at a family of monsters. The tiniest monster waved at Lydia, and she waved back.

Betelgeuse got off on _Exit 83 to Inferno Canyon._ Lydia couldn’t help but be excited by the name. The landscape had changed from grass to a mixture of desert and volcanoes. At one point they drove across a bridge surrounded by lava. Lydia took out her camera to snap a photo, but Betelgeuse told her not to bother.

“You’ll be wastin’ film, babes. Nothin' photographs here.”

Rebelliously, Lydia took a photo of the dashboard. Through the windshield she could see the road and red volcanoes beyond it. The Polaroid printed out, and she waited for it to develop. Sure enough, once it developed all she could see was her car’s dashboard. The windshield was blank.

“Twisted,” Lydia said approvingly, tucking the photo in her pocket.

Betelgeuse steered the car up a huge, rocky hill that technically the car shouldn’t have been able to maneuver. But it did, driving them past creeks of lava and tall, skeletal trees. The hill leveled out and through layers of trees, Lydia spotted a cabin. Betelgeuse parked the Volkswagen in front of the cabin. 

“Well, we’re here,” Betelgeuse yawned, snapping the car off. 

Lydia got out of the car, taking in her surroundings. The cabin looked pretty much like any cabin Lydia had seen before, quaint and constructed out of wood. It was almost jarring to see such a normal looking structure in an alien environment.

Beyond the cabin was a vast overlook that dropped down into a fiery canyon. Lava flowed through the gaping canyon walls, emptying out into a river. Lydia stood rooted to the spot, absolutely staggered by the otherworldly landscape.

“Ya like it?” Betelgeuse asked her, smirking. He already knew the answer.

Her eyes were huge disks. “Your world is amazing,” she breathed.

Betelgeuse chuckled, guiding her towards the cabin. “Let’s get unpacked and then I’ll give ya a tour.” When they drew close to the front door, Betelgeuse swept Lydia into his arms bridal-style. She squeaked in surprise, locking her arms around the poltergeist’s neck. He kicked the door aside, and carried Lydia into their cabin.

The cabin was small, consisting of only a bedroom, and kitchen, and a tiny bathroom that Lydia assumed was for her. Betelgeuse had already summoned their bags into the bedroom, where he deposited Lydia on their bed. He crawled onto the bed, hovering over her with a cocky grin on his face.

Lydia playfully tapped his cheek. “What are you grinning about?”

“Oh, nothin’. I just like spoilin’ you.”

Lydia giggled. “Should we unpack?”

“Nah. That was just an excuse ta get yer cute ass in here,” Betelgeuse rumbled, licking Lydia from her collarbone to her jawline. Lydia shuddered, tugging him down by his tie and pressing little kisses into his cheek. 

She knew he liked when she feathered him with kisses. He closed his eyes and made little sounds at the base of his throat as she peppered kisses over his cheeks. Lydia pressed a lingering kiss into his jawline, drawing a longer sound from Betelgeuse’s throat. He always went a little wild when she kissed him at the spot where his jawline connected to his throat.

“Thank you for this. It’s very sweet,” she whispered into his ear.

“ _Sweet_?” Betelgeuse repeated in disgust, shaking himself like a dog. “My lovely Lydia, I’m not _sweet._ I’m the Ghost with the Most! I’m _evil_!”

Lydia tugged on his tie again, bringing him back to her. “You’re not completely evil,” she countered. “You act tough, but deep down you’re kind of a softie.”

“I am _not_ a––” Betelgeuse’s protests were silenced by Lydia’s kiss. He immediately reacted to her languishing lips, nothing but a lovesick puppy under her touch. To his surprise she deepened the kiss, shyly meeting his tongue with hers. She always tasted so sweet. _I bet her pussy tastes even sweeter,_ Betelgeuse thought darkly, getting hard at the thought.

“Yes, you are,” Lydia murmured after breaking the kiss, grinning up at him.

“ _Fine._ I’m only sweet ta you, baby doll.”

Lydia cocked her head. “Why am I the exception?”

Betelgeuse sat up, dragging Lydia along with him and positioning her in his lap so she was straddling him. He playfully popped his hips, teasing but also a warning. “I think ya know why.”

He could tell Lydia wanted to press him further, but was grateful when she let it go. Even though Betelgeuse had admitted to Adam that he was falling for her, he wasn’t quite ready to have that conversation with Lydia.

While Lydia quietly unpacked, she kept stealing glances over at Betelgeuse. Butterfly wings fluttered in her stomach, making her feel a little queasy. She was nervous about being alone with him. Even when they were alone in her room, the Maitlands were always in the attic. There was something undeniably _adult_ about being alone in this cabin with Betelgeuse. Not to mention that the small quarters meant even closer proximity.

“Ya checkin’ me out, babes?” Betelgeuse said without even turning his head.

Lydia was working on controlling her blush around him, since she always felt like it gave him the upper hand. “Yes, I am,” she said boldly, knowing that wasn’t the answer Betelgeuse was expecting. He turned around, giving her an absolutely filthy look. 

“I _like_ a woman who speaks ‘er mind,” Betelgeuse said roughly. Lydia liked when he referred to her as a woman; she puffed out her chest in response. Betelgeuse took Lydia’s hand, and led her outside.

Despite the lava flowing hundreds of feet beneath them, the air around the cabin was almost chilly. Betelgeuse had set out an extravagant dinner for them, complete with a picnic blanket that Lydia recognized from their first date. 

Even though Betelgeuse technically didn’t need food, he munched pensively on some chips while Lydia made herself a sandwich. Just as Betelgeuse had once told her, his world had a sunset. It looked similar to Lydia’s sun as it burned over the river of lava, sinking below the horizon. From the overlook it looked like the sun was melting into the lava.

“Beautiful,” Lydia exhaled, shaking her head in disbelief. 

“Yeah,” the poltergeist agreed. When Lydia stole a glance at him, she caught Betelgeuse gazing at her. She ducked her head, allowing her hair to fall like a veil between them. Keeping his eyes trained on the girl, Betelgeuse floated towards her. 

She closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her. When the kiss didn’t come, she opened up her eyes in confusion. The poltergeist was grinning down at her, charmed by her eagerness for his lavish attentions.

“What’s wrong, babes?” he breathed into her ear. Goosebumps trailed down Lydia’s skin. “You’re expectin’ me ta do somethin’ dirty ta ya?”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, in which things get spicy... heads up!

Lydia reached up with shaky hands, and unbuttoned the first few buttons on his shirt. Betelgeuse watched her, trying to gauge where the situation was heading. She hadn’t seen Betelgeuse shirtless yet, and overdue curiosity brought her hands to open the ghost’s shirt.

Lydia ran her hand across the cold planes of Betelgeuse’s chest, tangling her fingers in his rough blonde chest hair.

The ghost jumped at her touch, rumbling low in his chest. Lydia seemed to be lost in the exploration of his chest; she was fascinated by his chest hair, and blushed a little when she saw his nipples. She accidentally ran a finger over one of them, causing Betelgeuse to hiss.

Betelgeuse realized that the girl was probably used to skinny little seventeen-year-old dudes, and puffed out his chest a bit. It stroked his masculine ego to see Lydia so fascinated by the clear differences between his broad chest and the puny boys she’d seen shirtless before.

This thought brought Betelgeuse up short. He did _not_ like the idea of Lydia being around shirtless boys. The mere thought brought back all the rage from the night he’d seen Percy shirtless with Lydia.

Betelgeuse struck quickly, grabbing her wrists and pinning both of them above her head with one hand. He tightened his grip, causing the girl to squirm. “I assume you’re used to seeing _Percy_ shirtless?” he snarled softly.

Lydia realized why Betelgeuse had pinned her so quickly, and she quickly shook her head. “I mean, I did _see_ him shirtless. And Jack…” Lydia didn’t like to lie, so the truth came tumbling out. But she instantly realized her mistake when Betelgeuse’s eyes turned stormy. He lowered his face towards hers.

“Who the fu _ck,_ ” he spat, snapping the _ck_ off his tongue, “is _Jack_?”

By this point, the girl had grown used to Betelgeuse’s possession over her. He used to at least try to partially hide it, but it seemed every time he kissed her, he laid a little bit more claim to the girl. She was pretty sure it wasn’t exactly healthy behavior, but with an ancient poltergeist such as Betelgeuse there was no reasoning with him once he got jealous.

“My first kiss,” Lydia said firmly.

Betelgeuse growled low in his throat. “I don’ like hearin’ about my _wife_ messin’ around with other boys.”

Lydia was momentarily stunned. Had he just referred to her as his _wife?_ Well that needed to be cleared up immediately. “In case you hadn’t noticed,” she said, “we aren’t exactly _married._ I’m not your _wife_.”

Betelgeuse’s eyes glowed dangerously. He knew that he was being challenged. The hand that pinned her wrists lifted a finger to toy with the crimson jewel on her ring finger. “Not _yet,_ ” he said huskily, those two little words filled with so much lust and promise that it nearly took Lydia’s breath away.

“So take it back,” Lydia demanded. “You can’t just lay claim to whatever you want without my permission.”

If Lydia had thought these words would cause Betelgeuse to loosen his grip on her, she was terribly mistaken. In fact, the poltergeist was pretty sure that Lydia had no idea what she was _really_ challenging him on.

In answer, Betelgeuse drew his face dangerously close to Lydia’s. Sometimes with all of Betelgeuse’s teasing and flirtation, it was easy to forget who he really was. But Lydia was no longer staring into the eyes of her future husband. She was staring into the eyes of the Ghost with the Most, who had just been challenged by a _human_.  

“I think _you_ should take it back that you’re not my wife,” Betelgeuse hissed. “You and I both know how badly you want to be my missus.”

He leered, his voice dripping condescendingly. In that moment Lydia hated him for being able to dismantle the wall she normally placed between herself and others. He was starting to be able to read her thoughts as easily as a book, and Lydia wasn’t used to that. Most people never figured her out. 

“I’d _never_ want to be married to you,” Lydia said coldly. She’d never spoken so harshly to him before, but he was being _so fucking smug_ that he needed a little slap in the face. Most people wouldn’t have been able to talk back to him, but Lydia was not scared of him. 

Betelgeuse hissed, this time sounding closer to his snake form. “Take. It. _Back._ ” He stretched out every word, tightening his grip on Lydia’s wrists. It hurt, but she refused to show any sign of weakness in front of him. 

“No,” she whispered.

“Very well.” A dastardly smile twisted Betelgeuse’s lips, and she felt his hand on her thigh. Tonight she was wearing a soft navy skirt with little black cats on it. The material was easily pushed aside while Betelgeuse’s cold hand snaked its way up her sensitive skin. She never broke eye contact with him, refusing to give in to his tactics. 

Lydia only flinched when his cold hands reached her panties, a place that he had only lightly teased before. Betelgeuse was far past the time for teasing. He grabbed her most sensitive parts, curling a finger over the fabric. Lydia gasped involuntarily, unable to help it. 

Betelgeuse suddenly jerked, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. He slowly withdrew his hand, and then dragged his eyes up to meet Lydia’s. “You’re fucking _wet_ ,” Betelgeuse barely managed to choke out, grinning devilishly down at her. “Ya _like_ this kind of play, don’t ya babes?”

Lydia couldn’t control what her nether regions were up to, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to admit to Betelgeuse that she liked when he pinned her down. “Fuck you,” was all she managed to say, her voice a little bit breathier than she’d intended.

Betelgeuse’s violently moved the thin fabric aside, and his fingers found the wetness he’d been searching for. “This is your last chance, baby,” he groaned, voice barely above a whisper. “Tell me you want to be my wife, and I’ll stop.”

Lydia said nothing.

Betelgeuse grinned lecherously down at her, and then his fingers were inside of her. Lydia cried out in shock, bucking on the picnic blanket, but he kept her hands pinned securely above her head. It took the poltergeist a second to collect himself; feeling Lydia’s tight pussy convulse around his two fingers was enough to give him a heart attack. 

Betelgeuse swore at how tight she felt around his fingers. He couldn’t believe how _wet_ she was. If he’d known she was into this, he would have been toying with her a lot sooner. Betelgeuse swore again, driving his fingers deeper into her. Lydia whimpered, letting out sweet little cries every time he moved his fingers around inside her.

He searched around, making sure to keep the process painstakingly slow. He felt around her tight little walls, looking for the spot that would make her scream. With his two fingers inside of her, Betelgeuse gently played with the soft hidden flesh above her pussy. Lydia closed her eyes and was squirming on the picnic blanket, breathing in and out faster now.

“Tell me you want to be my wife,” Betelgeuse commanded, his voice echoing throughout the canyon.

“No,” Lydia breathed pitifully, panting.

In response, Betelgeuse slid a third finger inside of her. She cried out again, shivering, but this time she bucked her hips as if unconsciously inviting him deeper inside of her. _Oh I’ll give you what you want baby.  
_

Betelgeuse kept gently rubbing her most delicate spot with his thumb, while curling his fingers deep inside of her. He angled his hand so he was hitting a different spot, and he swore again when Lydia became tight around him. He curled his fingers against the spot again, listening to Lydia’s sweet mewls grow louder, breathier.

“Tell me,” Betelgeuse snarled, “that you want to be my wife.”

Lydia said nothing, just groaned. Betelgeuse slowly started moving his fingers in and out of her, carefully at first to test the waters. When Lydia didn’t say what he asked for, he drove his fingers in and out of her at a punishing pace.

Lydia cried out, her moans growing in pitch until Betelgeuse thought he might cum just from the sounds she was making. _Sweet Jesus, when I finally fuck her she’s gonna be a screamer.  
_

“Tell me, Lydia,” Betelgeuse commanded once again.

Lydia was trembling beneath him, a fine sheen of sweat covering her body. Betelgeuse curled his fingers around the same spot, bringing the girl to her first orgasm of the night. “I want to be your wife,” she finally gasped, panting and bucking against him as he finger-fucked her. 

“Say it again,” he snarled, keeping up his violent pace.

“I want… I want to be your wife,” she panted, completely undone at his fingertips.

Betelgeuse gently dipped his head down, swiping his tongue over her clit. Lydia gasped out his name. “Good girl,” he whispered. However, he wasn’t _quite_ done with her. Lydia had been a little too mouthy towards him. He ripped off her underwear, leaving it in tatters on the blanket. 

Betelgeuse returned his lavish attentions to her pussy. He swiped his tongue over her again, not stopping the pace of his fingers. “Tell me who you belong to,” he growled.

Lydia twisted in the blanket, sucking in shallow breaths. She was getting close. 

The poltergeist licked her again, sticking his fingers even deeper inside her and hitting something sweet that made Lydia mewl. “Come on, Lydia. Who do you belong to?”

Finally, she whispered, “You.”

Betelgeuse licked the length of her. “Say it louder.” He hadn’t eaten her out yet, but she sure reacted to his tongue. The poltergeist removed his fingers, burying his tongue inside of her and then swiping up to her clit again.          

Lydia shuddered, finally reaching her second climax. “You,” she gasped, bucking her hips on his tongue. “I belong to you." 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all of your amazing support! And let the spiciness continue...

They stayed outside for a long time after that, kissing and looking up at the stars. Betelgeuse took care of the picnic basket and blanket after Lydia sheepishly announced she was going to take a quick shower before bed. He wandered into the cabin, whistling to himself, and came up short when he found Lydia standing in the hallway with a mischievous look on her face.

“Yesss?” Betelgeuse smirked.

Lydia bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet. “Will you take a shower with me?”

Betelgeuse cocked his head. “Babes. Are ya tellin’ me I smell?”

Lydia turned pink. “No! I mean… I was just wondering. The shower’s big enough for too people,” she said shyly, peeking up at him from under her black bangs.

Betelgeuse gave her a lazy, cocky smile. He recognized that Lydia asking to shower with him was a big deal; it would be the first time they’d seen each other completely naked. He knew there was a significant amount of trust behind the girl’s adorably dirty request. 

“I _suppose_ I could join ya,” Betelgeuse drawled.

Lydia gave him a sweet little smile. “Okay.”

Betelgeuse allowed Lydia to take the lead on this one. He followed her slowly into the bathroom, where hot shower water was already running. Lydia quietly closed the door behind them, and looked up at Betelgeuse with those big, black doe eyes. Betelgeuse recognized that the girl was nervous.

He dipped down, giving Lydia a small, reassuring kiss. “Ya know I can leave,” he said with a wry smile.

Lydia shook her head. “I–– I want you here,” she said firmly.

He fixed her with an uncharacteristically serious look. “Babes. Ya know that ya don’t have to do anything. I just want to be around ya.”

Lydia jutted out her chin, staring at him. “I want you here,” she repeated. Without missing a beat, she reached down and tugged off her skirt. Since Betelgeuse had ripped off her underwear, there was nothing shielding her from his hot gaze. 

Betelgeuse’s green eyes slowly traveled up to meet her eyes. He stood very still, barely twitching a muscle. Lydia turned away from him, shrugging out of her shirt and bra, and slipped into the shower. 

He took a deep breath, screwing his eyes shut and willing himself to not fuck the girl right there and then. He was pretty sure she was just experimenting and wasn’t purposefully torturing him, but it sure felt that way. Betelgeuse shook his head, wondering what the fuck he’d gotten himself into, before unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off. His pants, belt, and boxers soon joined his shirt in a crumpled pile on the floor next to Lydia’s.

Betelgeuse took another deep breath, which was ridiculous for a number of reasons, before gently nudging aside the shower door. The hot water was filled with steam, and beneath the rush of water stood Lydia. Her hair was completely soaked, clinging to her skull and neck, and her eyes were closed under the stream of water.

Betelgeuse stared at her, frozen. For all the world she looked like an otherworldly nymph bathing herself in a waterfall. Seeming to feel the chill from outside the shower door, Lydia craned her neck and opened her eyes.

To Betelgeuse’s deep amusement and manly pride, Lydia’s eyes widened as she traveled down his body and briefly stopped at his lower regions. Her eyes immediately snapped up.

Betelgeuse bit back a smirk as he stepped into the shower with her. He recognized that Lydia was doing her best to act casual, like she was always showering with naked fully grown men. It occurred to Betelgeuse that she might have never even seen another fully naked boy before. 

Lydia was humming to herself, running shampoo through her hair. Betelgeuse drew closer to her, delicately running his fingers down her back and gripping her hips. He felt Lydia tense beneath his touch, but she didn’t ask him to stop.

She moved suddenly, unaware of her proximity to Betelgeuse’s certain _appendages_ and accidentally rubbed against him. Betelgeuse snarled, digging his nails into Lydia’s hips and closing his eyes. Lydia squeaked, her cool demeanor completely destroyed.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, the water pouring down her shoulders now.

Betelgeuse was growing hard, and he willed Lydia to not notice. He didn’t want to scare her off, but he couldn’t control what his dick did when the girl brushed against him. Betelgeuse released his grip on her, gnashing his teeth and forcing himself to calm down. 

“Don’t apologize, baby,” he replied, doing his best to sound unaffected despite the wildly inappropriate fantasies springing to his mind.

“Here. Your turn,” Lydia said suddenly. Betelgeuse didn’t know what she meant at first until he felt himself being tugged towards the water. Lydia had smoothly swapped places with him, and hot water was pouring down his neck. Lydia giggled when she realized he was taller than the shower head. With a flick of his finger, the shower head moved up a few inches and fully soaked Betelgeuse’s head.

Lydia giggled again. Seeing the Ghost with the Most completely soaked, standing there looking vaguely dejected like a dog forced to bathe, was an image she’d never forget. She grabbed the bottle of shampoo and noisily squeezed some into the palm of her hands.

Betelgeuse ran his hands through his soaked hair, pushing it out of his eyes. Lydia couldn’t help but secretly admire his upper arms. She carefully kept her eyes high, but she’d seen enough to make a quick analysis of Betelgeuse’s body. He had a bit of a beer belly, but she liked his broad shoulders and the way she could see the muscles in his arms. 

“Absolutely not,” he barked, eying the bottle. “No girly shampoos.”

Lydia pouted. “Please?”

Betelgeuse folded his arms, which only enunciated his strong forearms and struck Lydia as enticingly masculine. Oblivious to her checking him out, Betelgeuse shook his head. “Nope. You gotta do better than that, babes.”

Lydia cocked her head, sticking out her bottom lip. “ _Please_ , Betelgeuse? Please?”

Something wild crossed Betelgeuse’s expression. “ _Fine_ ,” he growled. He abruptly grabbed Lydia’s wrist, tugging her closer to him until they were both under the stream of hot water. “But only because yer naked an’ beggin’ me.”

His course words went straight to Lydia’s lower half. She felt something throb low in her abdomen, remembering the way his fingers had felt inside of her. She took a quick breath, motioning for Betelgeuse to bend down a bit for her. Reluctantly the poltergeist stooped lower so she could scrub the shampoo into his wet mane.

Lydia could tell he didn’t like being in the shower, but he stood patiently while she worked. Suds fell down Betelgeuse’s face, so he closed his eyes. Lydia was struck by the simple trust of this action; Betelgeuse was completely vulnerable in front of her.

She pushed him back under the stream, and Betelgeuse stood up to his full height. He washed the shampoo away, the suds falling down his shoulders and mingling with his chest hair. He could feel Lydia watching him, and once the suds were all gone he put Lydia back under the water.

The poltergeist was controlling himself, which Lydia appreciated. He’d hardly touched her apart from grabbing her hips to move her. Lydia realized that Betelgeuse was being careful with her, even after what they had just done out on the picnic blanket. Her lower half throbbed, and suddenly she desperately needed him to touch her again.

Betelgeuse’s green eyes were fixed on her. “What’s wrong?”

Lydia struggled with how to express what she wanted. If only Betelgeuse could just read her mind. She took a deep breath. “Will you… will you touch me?”

Betelgeuse’s irises were practically bleeding into his green eyes. He looked like a man on the verge of relapse. Even though Lydia’s request had been fairly innocent, it sounded filthy as hell coming from her. Betelgeuse grabbed her waist, pulling her closer until they were both under the water again.

“What do you want?” he rasped.

Lydia shivered despite the hot water rushing over them. She didn’t respond, bringing Betelgeuse to realize it was his turn to take the lead. Slowly he knelt down in the shower, keeping his hands curled on Lydia’s waist. Very carefully, he started pressing kisses into her stomach.

Lydia made a little gasp, digging her nails into Betelgeuse’s shoulders. He took this as a sign he was doing something right, and continued kissing her. He trailed a line of wet kisses down her leg, before pressing a cautionary kiss into her lower thigh. He felt Lydia stiffen beneath him, and one of her hands curled into his hair. He kissed her there again, clearly signaling his intentions and waiting for her response.

The girl stayed very still, the hot water rushing down her body and over Betelgeuse. Carefully Betelgeuse snaked one hand behind Lydia’s back, steadying her, and using his other hand to gently move apart her legs. He kept kissing her until pressing a lingering kiss into her clit that brought a sharp gasp from the girl.

Betelgeuse waited only a second before slipping his tongue inside her. Lydia moaned, leaning her head back against the shower wall. Betelgeuse moved slowly at first, but sank his tongue deeper inside of her and rolled it. He felt Lydia’s fingers curl tightly into his wet hair.

The poltergeist gripped her thigh, bringing her closer to his mouth and kissing her pussy. Lydia let out another gasp, moving her hips to the rhythm of Betelgeuse’s tongue. Betelgeuse moaned, feeling the walls of her pussy tighten around his tongue. 

His tongue teased her one last time before he gave her a little nip, and started to really eat her out. His mouth worked knowingly against her pussy, licking and nipping in just the right places. Lydia’s cries echoed off the bathroom walls, only pushing Betelgeuse to go harder.

Lydia managed to open her eyes, glancing down. She could see Betelgeuse’s head moving purposefully, one hand gripping her thigh and the other digging into her back keeping her steady. The sight of Betelgeuse doing something so incredibly filthy to her was unexpectedly erotic, and another intense throb coursed through the girl. 

Betelgeuse’s green eyes flashed open, catching her watching him. A dangerously cocky grin spread over his mouth and he slowly licked his lips, maintaining eye contact with Lydia. She shuddered, and once again she felt the overwhelming desire for Betelgeuse to fuck her. Dizzied by this and his filthy affections, Lydia closed her eyes and moaned when his mouth returned to her lower half.

Betelgeuse worked her, moving his tongue deep inside of her until Lydia started to feel that new rising sensation inside of her. Her moans grew shorter and higher in pitch until it almost sounded like she was crying, but Betelgeuse never wavered in his punishing pace.

“Come on, baby,” Betelgeuse growled to her. “Cum for me.”  
He knew she was close. She was practically whimpering, her hips moving with Betelgeuse’s tongue. When she was seconds away from orgasming, Betelgeuse thrust two fingers inside of her. Her whole body bucked from the unexpected pressure, crying out in mingled pain and pleasure. Betelgeuse worked his fingers, curling them in the spot he’d found earlier.

“Say my name, baby,” he crooned, biting her inner thigh.

“ _B–– Betelgeuse,”_ Lydia gasped when his fingers curled just right inside of her, bringing the girl to orgasm. Betelgeuse didn’t stop, finger-fucking her and crooning until she climaxed for him again. 

Lydia collapsed against the shower wall, her chest heaving. Betelgeuse stood up, nipping her neck before closing her mouth in a searing kiss. Behind her, the poltergeist reached over and shut off the water. In the thick steam of the shower, Lydia gazed up at Betelgeuse with stars in her eyes.   

“Holy shit,” she said breathlessly. “You’re–– you’re really good at that.”

Betelgeuse just grinned down at her, mimicking a cowboy blowing off his gun with his index finger. “All in a day’s work, baby.”


	24. Chapter 24

Needless to say, the two of them slept very well that night. In the morning, Lydia was greeted with spider-shaped waffles summoned by Betelgeuse. He insisted she stay in bed and eat, which was how Lydia ended up luxuriously munching on her spider waffles while Betelgeuse snoozed next to her.

“Can I ask you something?” Lydia asked abruptly, putting down her knife and fork. Betelgeuse cracked open an eye, and noticed that she had stopped eating. This meant business. With a growl the poltergeist pulled himself into a sitting position.

“Yes, dahhhling?” he cooed sarcastically. 

Lydia poked him in the ribs. “It’s a serious question.”

Betelgeuse pretended to look sincere. “Oh, sorry. Yes, darling?”  

The goth hesitated before saying, “If… if I marry you. What happens to me?”

Betelgeuse had teased Lydia about his proposal many times, but she had never brought it up in serious conversation. Betelgeuse just didn’t want to push her on it, and figured she’d bring it up when she wanted to talk about it. Having captured his attention, Betelgeuse replied, “What do ya mean, babes?” 

Lydia fiddled with her fork. “I mean, if we get married. Will I still be human?”

“Of course.”

“What happens when I grow old and die?”

“You’ll be a ghost like me.” Betelgeuse shot her his most winning smile. “And then you can be the Ghost with the Second Most.”

Lydia thought on this, and took a bite of her waffle. “Next year I’ll be a senior, and then I’ll be going off to college. What happens if I move?”

“I’ll come with ya. If you’ll have me, of course.”

“What exactly happens to… _you_ when you get married?”

Betelgeuse scratched at some fresh mold on his chin. “Hmm. Well, I’ll still be a ghost. But I’ll be free in the mortal realm. See, I’ve got some power right now because you let me out of the mirror. _But_ technically speaking I’m still not part of your world.”

Lydia frowned. “So you’d be able to go wherever and do whatever you want?”

“Well, it depends.”

“On what?”

“On what my wife wants,” Betelgeuse finished smoothly, waggling his brows at her. The impact of his words was immediate, bringing that lovely pink to Lydia’s cheeks. She shoved at him, and crossed her arms. 

The mood changed, and it was Betelgeuse’s turn to be serious. “Ya know, babes. It’s okay if ya don’t want to marry me.”

Well  _that_ was unexpected. Lydia’s head snapped up and she stared over at him. She was pretty speechless for a second, grasping for words. “But… what about our deal?”

“If I remember _correctly,_ the deal was that ya only had to marry me if ya trusted me.”

Lydia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “After everything you’ve done to try and win me over, even if I didn’t want to marry you, you wouldn’t be mad?”

Betelgeuse rolled his eyes. “Come on, babes. I could never be mad at you. Even if you didn’t want to marry me.”

The girl was quite taken aback by this realization. She stared at Betelgeuse, who was currently examining his fingernails. After everything he had done for her in the past few months, he’d be willing to let her go?

“If you think I don’t want to marry you, then why are you hanging out with me still?”

At this, the poltergeist came up short. His usual snappy responses were put on hold. He glanced over at her, and shrugged. But he betrayed a tiny, somber smile as if to say _I don’t have a choice._

And then it hit her. She suddenly felt like she’d been kicked in the chest, and the breath was knocked out of her. Betelgeuse looked away sharply, refocusing on his nails. Neither of them said anything for a solid minute. Lydia went back to eating her waffles, trying to keep her hands as busy as possible.

Betelgeuse hovered above the bed, floating towards the door. “So babes. Whatcha wanna do today?” he asked cheerfully. If he had a tail it would have been wagging.

Lydia stopped mid-chew. How exactly was Betelgeuse bouncing back from that kind of confession? Her cheeks were heating up, making her feel like an idiot. It had been in her face all along, and she’d been too immature to understand it. Lydia remembered what Barbara had told her; she was getting into something very intense. Only now was Lydia starting to realize what Barbara had really been trying to convey.

“Um. You could show me the sights. We never did, uh, do that last night.”  
 

He snapped his fingers. “Sure thing, doll face. Get your cute butt dressed and we’ll be on our way.” With that, the poltergeist swept out of the room, leaving Lydia feeling quite shaken. She finished her waffles on autopilot, and then went over to grab some clothes.

He was acting so normal, like he hadn’t just basically confessed something huge to her. Was she misreading things? Had she misinterpreted his look?

Deciding to act as casual as Betelgeuse, Lydia calmly got dressed. She picked out black leggings and a loose purple shirt that fell off her shoulder. She lined her eyes with black and put a dash of mascara on her lashes. Muttering to herself like a crazy person, Lydia slipped on her boots and went out to meet Betelgeuse by the front door.

“Lookin’ good, babes,” he said, nodding at her approvingly. 

Lydia glanced down at her outfit. “Oh, thanks.”

Betelgeuse took her arm and led her from the cabin, where they got into her Beetle. Had Betelgeuse not been so distracted by his potential bride’s legs, he might have sensed that they weren’t the only two souls in the vicinity. But he brought the engine to life and steered the car down the hill, twisting out of sight.

Several yards away, a man was lounging on the overlook. He sat with one knee drawn up to his chest, and the other leg dangling carelessly off the edge as if there wasn’t a river of lava below him. He was tall and thin, with long brown hair that was carefully combed over his scalp. There was no pulse in his throat, and hidden beneath his suit was a gaping knife wound that revealed the way he had died.

He’d sensed Betelgeuse arriving last night, but hadn’t gotten around to investigating until this morning. To his fascination, Betelgeuse was acting very careless–– and he was not alone. Rigel had keenly spotted the scarlet ring that glistened on the breather’s finger. 

So Betelgeuse was trying to get into the world of the living. No surprise there. What _had_ surprised Rigel was the fact that this was no sham marriage; he recognized the ring on that girl’s finger, and he knew its significance. Betelgeuse wouldn’t have given that ring to just _anyone_.

“Interesting,” Rigel murmured to himself. He sat for a few more moments, thinking, before standing up and brushing himself off. He vanished into thin air, as if he’d never been there at all.

  
             
                                                                                                            *      *      *

 

The Inferno Canyon did not disappoint, and even though Betelgeuse had seen it plenty of times he enjoyed experiencing it through Lydia’s mortal perspective. To Lydia’s amusement there were guided tours going on and people hiking around the lava, like they were in some alternate reality version of the Grand Canyon.

They spent the rest of the day exploring the canyon, and Betelgeuse had to pull Lydia back several times from the lava. Occasionally the ground would spit out flames or a lava geyser, which of course thrilled Lydia to death. Eventually it got to the point that Betelgeuse was exerting more energy worrying about the girl’s safety than enjoying their day together, which was when he decided to shut the whole operation down.

Lydia reluctantly followed him back to the car, forcing Betelgeuse to stop a few times at pop-up merchandise vendors so she could pick out some souvenirs. Betelgeuse forked over money to the grubby vendors, always willing to lavish his fiancé in whatever she wanted even if he thought it was cheap baubles. 

On the way back to their cabin, Lydia peppered Betelgeuse with questions. She wanted to know what part of the Netherworld they were in, how the Netherworld was divided up, when was it established, who reigned over the Netherworld, and a thousand other things. Betelgeuse was charmed by her curiosity and answered her questions to the best of his ability. He made a mental note to find her a book on the history of the Netherworld.

Her curiosity temporarily satiated, Lydia fell quiet. It was Betelgeuse’s turn now.

He cleared his throat. “Alright, babes, it’s my turn.”

She crinkled her nose at him. “No,” she said teasingly.

Betelgeuse couldn’t help but crack one of his toothy smiles. Sometimes he had to pause and admire how much Lydia had opened up to him in the past few months. He remembered how curt Lydia had been with him the night she’d caught him in her mirror. Now here she was, at a remote cabin with him, joking around.

He shrugged, playing along. “Alright, well I gotta listen to my missus.”

Lydia rolled her eyes. “You’re such a drama queen. Ask your question.”

Unexpectedly, the poltergeist reached out and slipped his index finger under her ring finger, where the crimson stone sat. “If ya don’t want ta marry me, why are ya wearin’ my engagement ring?”

Lydia considered his question. It was true; she only took the ring off when she showered, and sometimes at night before bed. “I… I never said I didn’t want to marry you,” she said shyly, moving her hand away from his.

Betelgeuse moved his hand back to the steering wheel, keeping his eyes on the highway. “I see,” he rumbled. Lydia expected him to tease her, but he didn’t. With a jolt she was brought back to this morning, and the way he had looked at her so somberly. She wanted to bring it up, but something held her back.

Once they arrived at the cabin, Lydia announced that she was hungry. With a lazy wave of his hand, a pizza baked in the shape of an _L_ materialized on the small table in the kitchen. Lydia shook her head, torn between residual awe at the poltergeist’s powers and annoyance with the lazy way he showed them off. 

Betelgeuse ate with her, even though she knew he didn’t really need food to survive. Eating seemed to dispel the awkwardness from the car between them. They chatted aimlessly until the conversation steered towards Lydia.

“Tell me something I don’t know about you,” Betelgeuse challenged, quirking a brow dangerously at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Lydia realizes BJ is fallin' for her gothic ass, and the true intentions of this story are slowly revealed by a shady newcomer! If it seems my updates take awhile, it's only because life is, as usual, mercilessly busy. Thank you again to all of my readers! I hope everyone had a spooky Halloween!


	25. Chapter 25

Lydia blew at her bangs haughtily. “I’m not going to tell you anything sexual,” she said firmly. Betelgeuse’s shadowy sockets somehow grew a shade darker. 

“ _Fineee,_ ” he sighed, theatrical as usual. “I’m waiting.”

Lydia pondered for a moment, munching on her pizza. “I suppose there’s a lot you don’t know about me yet.”

“Liiiike?”

“Well.” Lydia paused, smiling shyly. “I used to love swimming.”

Betelgeuse’s eyes lit up. “ _Really?_ ”

The goth poked her tongue out at him. “There’s no need to act shocked. The place I lived at when I was a kid, there was this awesome swimming pool in the neighborhood. I used to swim there all the time. Once I even cried when fall came and the pool had to close.” Lydia laughed to herself, dusting off old memories that she hadn’t accessed in years. 

When Betelgeuse didn’t respond, she looked up at the poltergeist. He was looking at her almost fondly. “You were probably adorable when you were a kid. Little goth Lydia,” he snickered.

Lydia folded her arms across her chest defensively. “I’m not going to tell you anything else if you make fun of me.”

Betelgeuse floated lazily towards Lydia. “I jus’ think yer cute, babes. Do ya still like ta swim?”

“I haven’t gone swimming since we lived in that neighborhood, honestly. I’m sure I’d still like it though.”

Betelgeuse’s feet met the floor and he snapped his fingers. “Alrighty then. Let’s go.”

Lydia hopped down off the stool, brushing away the pizza crumbs on her pants. She always perked up at the hint of adventure. “Go where?”

In lieu of a response, Betelgeuse grabbed Lydia’s hand and started dragging her towards the front door of the cabin. Lydia blushed a little from Betelgeuse holding her hand, and was grateful he seemed momentarily distracted by their destination. She didn’t want him to see her girlish reaction to something as simple as hand holding.

He took her outside, where the scent of chlorine abruptly filled the air. Lydia’s jaw dropped at what Betelgeuse was showing her. The grassy area stretching out by the cabin had been replaced by a square swimming pool. It even had a diving board and a deep end.

“Betelgeuse!” Lydia gasped. “Did you just do this?”

The poltergeist couldn’t suppress a little shiver from hearing his full name. He placed his thumb pensively on his chin, studying Lydia’s attire like a wardrobe director. He clucked disparagingly. “No, no, this won’t do at all.”

He snapped his fingers, and suddenly Lydia’s sweater and leggings were replaced by a simple purple one-piece swimsuit. Lydia gasped again, looking down at the swimsuit in disbelief. The enormity of Betelgeuse’s powers never failed to rattle her. She was beginning to think she’d never get used to it.

“You remember how to swim right?” Betelgeuse asked very close to her ear, his cold breath sending gooseflesh down her spine.

“Of course, B.”

“Perfect,” Betelgeuse hissed. In one smooth motion he slipped his arm under Lydia’s thighs and swept her up bridal-style. She cried out in surprise, wiggling around and telling the poltergeist to put her down. 

The girl’s protests were silenced when Betelgeuse tossed her into the pool. She cried out, crashing into the pool and splashing water everywhere. She expected to be met with a shock of icy water but naturally the water was the perfect temperature. _Just Betelgeuse showing off again.  
_

When Lydia broke the surface, she angrily shoved her bangs out of her eyes. “B! You asshole!” she shouted, swimming towards the shallow end of the pool.

To Lydia’s amusement, Betelgeuse’s attire had also changed. He was now wearing a ridiculous Hawaiian button-up shirt that clashed horrendously with his neon green swimming trunks. There were little pink flamingos dotting the trunks. He somehow already had a beer in his hand.

“Ya like it, babes?” he drawled, conjuring up a pair of sunglasses that he slipped onto the bridge of his nose.

“Yes,” she admittedly grudgingly. “Although I’m surprised you didn’t put me in a more inappropriate swimsuit.”

Betelgeuse peered down at her over his sunglasses, and waggled his brows. Lydia glanced down at her swimsuit. She cried out in disgust, finding her modest one-piece replaced by a tight hot pink bikini. She was now displaying a wildly inappropriate amount of cleavage.

Betelgeuse cackled from the pool’s edge. Lydia stared up at him with daggers in her eyes. _Two can play this game._ She reached up to the string tied behind her neck that kept the top part of her bikini securely in place, and nimbly loosened it. She dipped below the surface of the water, slipping the top piece off and throwing it at Betelgeuse.

The wet top slapped against Betelgeuse’s chest, falling to the pool’s edge. Betelgeuse stopped laughing so quickly it was almost comical. The sunglasses were skewed on his face. Lydia floated below the water, smirking at him as if to say _your move._

“You’re quickly becoming a she-demon,” Betelgeuse snarled, fixing her with a deadly stare. 

Lydia just stuck her tongue out at him again and dipped gracefully below the water. She suddenly felt a cold hand grip her ankle and she was dragged back to the surface. She squeaked, finding herself face-to-face with the Beetle. He was still wearing his ridiculous Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses.

Lydia took the sunglasses off his face, feeling Betelgeuse’s rough hands tighten around her waist. Her pulled her dangerously close to him until her breasts were flush with the fabric of his shirt. “Your shirt is stupid,” she informed him.

Betelgeuse’s green eyes were churning wildly. “Why don’t ya take it off me, then?” he asked, voice gravelly. 

They were both fully aware of who held the power in this situation. Lydia could almost feel Betelgeuse shivering as she slowly, tauntingly unbuttoned his soaked shirt. She stopped after the first few buttons. Even though Lydia knew Betelgeuse would never be classically handsome, she couldn’t help but feel her heart stutter a bit from the way he looked right now.

Wild hair, dark sockets punctuated by his lustful eyes. His shirt was unbuttoned enough to reveal the broad plane of his chest, his wiry chest hair stretching to his collarbone. The wet fabric clung to his thick arms, and as ridiculous as he looked in that shirt Lydia was suddenly brazenly attracted towards him. 

Feeling bold and with her fingers still twisted in his shirt, she leaned in and pressed a kiss at the base of his throat. Betelgeuse’s eyes fluttered closed. He growled, a sound that sent a wave of heat through Lydia’s abdomen.

She gently placed her hands around his neck, placing another kiss into his throat. He leaned his head back, allowing Lydia full access. Emboldened by the rising heat in her belly, when Lydia kissed his throat again she gently bit him.

Betelgeuse’s fingers dug into her back. Lydia gasped, and her fingers trembled as she quickly unbuttoned the last few buttons. Maybe Lydia was starting to go crazy but she found his beer belly almost endearing. Was she into dad bods? 

This was the last clear thought Lydia had before Betelgeuse’s hands slipped under her thighs and wrapped her legs around him. Lydia kissed him, pushing the shirt down his shoulders until it floated away in the pool.

He unapologetically grabbed her ass, squeezing her tightly and groaning into her kiss. Betelgeuse lowered them into the water, kissing her back and savagely biting her bottom lip. Lydia moaned as Betelgeuse’s wet hands slid up her stomach to grab her breasts. Her squeezed them violently, running his thumbs over her nipples.

“She-demon,” Betelgeuse hissed.

“Old man,” Lydia whispered back without missing a beat.

Betelgeuse wrapped his arms around her and dunked them both under the water. Lydia laughed beneath the surface, bubbles dancing from her mouth. She kicked away from Betelgeuse seamlessly, cutting through the water like a gothic mermaid.

When Lydia rose to the surface she found herself several feet away from Betelgeuse. Even though he was in the deeper side he still appeared to be standing without an issue. He was glowering at her.

“Ya callin’ me _old_?” he growled.

Lydia grinned, pleased that she had gotten under his skin for a change. “Ancient,” she taunted.

Of course Betelgeuse had the unfair advantage of being a ghost. He vanished and then reappeared behind Lydia, grabbing her and dragging her against him so that her bare shoulders were flush with his chest. “Yer the one lettin’ this old man put his hands all over ya,” he hissed, running his hands down her stomach and slipping past the band of her bikini bottom.

Lydia broke out of his arms, swimming a few feet away. “Maybe I like it,” she said with a shrug. She was slowly getting better at not letting Betelgeuse fluster her, especially after being completely naked with him in the shower.

Betelgeuse floated closer to her, and Lydia couldn’t help but briefly hear the _Jaws_ theme. If looks could kill, the way Betelgeuse was staring at her would put Lydia in a coffin. “C’ mere,” he said huskily, the game briefly forgotten in the height of his lust.

Lydia allowed herself to swim closer to him, where Betelgeuse roughly grabbed her. Not a second passed until his mouth was on hers, capturing her in a brutal kiss. Lydia’s hands slipped up to his jaw where she tangled her hands in his wet hair.

He broke their kiss ran his tongue slowly from her collarbone to the base of her jaw. It was animalistic and if anyone else had licked her like that, Lydia would have been disgusted. But with Betelgeuse, she was starting to find that she liked everything he did to her. She gasped, digging her fingers into his shoulders. 

He grinned devilishly and licked her again down the length of her neck. “It’s not fair of you to wear this ring around me. You’re nothin’ but a tease,” he hissed into her ear, touching the stone on her finger. 

“You know I’m not just a tease,” Lydia breathed, shuddering from the goosebumps he gave her.

“Oh? How’s that?”

She stared unblinkingly at him. “I told you that I want you to fuck me,” she said boldly, the crude word falling a little awkwardly off her tongue but otherwise her voice didn’t falter. “A tease wouldn’t say that.”

As she had hoped, her bold words took Betelgeuse by surprise. Lydia found that she loved to startle him; after existing for so long and experiencing so much, putting a gob-smacked look on Betelgeuse’s face was an accomplishment and she knew it. 

Betelgeuse recovered some of his swagger, bringing her closer to him. “Well then I stand corrected,” he growled, his eyes glowing.

He waded them through the water, bringing his back against the cool tiles of the pool wall. He dragged his hands over her thighs, hoisting her up again. Her arms locked around his neck, sheepishly slipping her tongue into his mouth.

Betelgeuse moaned and deepened the kiss, twining her tongue with his. Lydia thought he tasted like cigarettes and something else that was almost sickly sweet. She found that it was a taste that was uniquely him, and something about that was really hot. 

“Yer too good of a kisser,” Betelgeuse rumbled, giving her a toothy smile.

Lydia blinked bashfully. She’d never been told that before. “Thanks. You’re not too bad yourself.”

It took Lydia a second too long to realize what was coming. “Ahh _no––”_ she cried, letting out a peel of laughter as Betelgeuse tossed her into the water again. She rose to the surface and found him cackling.

His laughter was silenced the moment Lydia gracefully slipped out of the pool, situating herself on the edge and staring innocently at him. 

“She-demon,” Betelgeuse muttered to himself in amazement.


	26. Chapter 26

They played around in the pool until the sun started to set in the sky. Betelgeuse _very_ reluctantly allowed Lydia to put her top back on, and they decided to go watch a movie inside. Before Lydia’s eyes, the pool vanished and they were no longer dripping wet. Betelgeuse chose to keep her in the bikini, which earned him a punch to the gut. 

Once they were dried off and dressed, Betelgeuse carried her bridal-style into their bedroom. “Whatcha wanna watch?” the poltergeist drawled, depositing her onto their bed.

Lydia scrambled into a sitting position on the bed. “Hmm. I don’t know. Have you even seen a movie before?” 

“Of course I have.” Despite being in the middle of the Netherworld, Betelgeuse snapped his fingers and the wall next to their bed lit up like a projector screen. An old John Hughes movie started playing, which garnered a look from Lydia. “Why this one?”

Betelgeuse collapsed into bed next to her. “I saw it on your shelf, babes. I know you’re a softie under all that goth makeup.” 

Normally Lydia would have argued, but she _did_ like this movie. The lights in the room snapped off, and she felt Betelgeuse hook an arm around her waist. Her dragged her across the bed until her body was curved against his much larger form. He draped an arm over her waist, absently running his fingers over the swell of her hip.

It turned out Betelgeuse hadn’t seen this movie before, so he asked questions while they watched. Halfway through the movie, Betelgeuse suddenly said, “They’re gonna fuck aren’t they?”

Lydia rolled her eyes. “Not everything is about sex, B.” He quirked a brow, and she sighed. “Well, they _do_ kiss at the end of the movie.” 

“I _knew_ it!”

Lydia wanted to pop his ego a little bit for being right, so she said smoothly, “I used to have a crush on Bender.” As predicted, Betelgeuse scowled at the mention of Lydia having a crush on someone else. He squinted at the screen.

"The delinquent?” 

Lydia smiled into her pillow. “Yes.”

“ _Ah_ ,” he rumbled. “So you’ve always been into bad boys.”

Lydia knew what the poltergeist was implying; by admitting her attraction to the deviant Bender, it was yet another confirmation that she was into Betelgeuse. She hadn’t planned on mentioning her crush to backfire so elegantly in Betelgeuse’s favor. It was Lydia’s turn to scowl. 

“No. You’re the first “bad guy” I’ve hung out with.” She used heavy air quotes, knowing it would annoy Betelgeuse. He took it very personally when Lydia didn’t acknowledge him as being an evil poltergeist. Unfortunately for Betelgeuse, after Lydia caught secretly playing with Stella it was difficult to see him as a terrifying monster.

Betelgeuse immediately took offense. “What’s with the air quotes?!” he exclaimed. The movie paused of its own accord, and the poltergeist folded his arms to glare down at Lydia. She sighed, reluctantly moving into a sitting position.

“I know what you’re capable of,” she relented. “It’s just that _I’m_ not afraid of you. Isn’t that a good thing?”

His green eyes glittered. “Maybe I like scarin’ my prey just a little bit.”

Lydia swallowed hard. She certainly hadn’t predicted this conversation would take an abrupt swerve into not-so-subtle innuendo. She was abruptly brought back to when Betelgeuse had been terrorizing Charles, Delia, and Otho. The way Betelgeuse’s snake form had slowly slithered towards her, more fascinated than harmful, burned into her mind’s eye. The tiniest of shivers ran down Lydia’s spine; she hadn’t seen Betelgeuse in his snake form since that day. 

“What’s on your mind?” he growled softly.

Lydia took in a quick breath. “I was–– I was remembering when I first saw you. As a snake.”

A Jack-O-Lantern grin spread over the poltergeist’s face. “Did ya think I was handsome?”

She shook her head. “No, I… I was afraid.” It was hard for Lydia to admit this, since she was usually pretty fearless. She never liked admitting times that she felt weak, and that event on the staircase had certainly made her feel powerless. 

“Ya know, I wasn’t gonna hurt ya,” Betelgeuse rumbled. “If anything I was thinkin’ bout snatchin’ ya up and makin’ ya my wife.” 

Normally Lydia would have blushed at such an inappropriate sentence, but her mind was moving. Betelgeuse could see the gears behind her eyes. He waited evasively for her to say something. 

“Can you show me that form again?” she finally asked.

Betelgeuse scratched absently at some mold on his neck. “Why, babes?”

“I want to know if I’m still afraid.”

The poltergeist looked at her dubiously, but courting a woman tended to teach a man when she meant business. And based on the firm set of Lydia’s jaw, she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He shrugged, figuring this could be entertaining. “Sure. Right now?”

She nodded.

Betelgeuse’s dark sockets narrowed, and Lydia caught a glimpse of his twisted grin before the poltergeist vanished. She felt her pulse starting to jump erratically in her throat. Her eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of the sheets on the bed moving. There was a flash of a snake rattle before a heavy _thud_ hit the floor.

Lydia stayed very still, irrationally wondering if she’d just volunteered for some kind of death sentence. Willing herself not to close her eyes, Lydia suddenly felt very chilly. Slippery, cold scales tightened around her wrist. She looked sharply at her right arm, gasping. A snake’s tail was wrapping itself around her wrist, and without warning the tail jerked her onto the floor.

Lydia fell back against something very thick that burned ice-cold through the fabric of her shirt. She’d fallen into the circle of his serpentine torso. His tail still curled tightly around her arm, weaving its way closer to her shoulder. 

“Wow,” she breathed, taking in the enormity of Betelgeuse in this form. She’d forgotten how large he was as a snake. His long form surrounded her in lazy circles, stretching under the bed. Even though Lydia was expecting it, she was still startled when a familiar voice hissed in her ear.

_"Sssscared yet, babesss?”_

Lydia slowly turned, facing Betelgeuse. He was every bit as frightening as he’d been last time. Seeing his human head attached to a snake’s coiled body was something out of her deepest nightmares. His teeth had filed themselves into sharp rows of points, and saliva dripped from his fangs.

“You really weren’t going to hurt me?” she whispered, locking eyes with this serpentine version of her fiancé.

His tail rattled close to Lydia’s ear. She felt him loosening his grip on her arm, and his cold tail slowly dragged its way down her waist and to the floor. His unblinking green eyes drew closer. “Define _hurt_ you,” he hissed.

Lydia wondered if she’d dared the poltergeist into something she couldn’t control. She’d been foolish to tell Betelgeuse that he didn’t scare her. Seeing him as this monstrous snake, Lydia could see why the Ghost with the Most was so feared. She swallowed hard, willing her voice not to shake as she answered.

“Physical harm,” she breathed.

Abruptly Betelgeuse’s tail shot out, pushing Lydia to the floor. She squirmed, hoping that he couldn’t hear how fast her heart was pounding. She needed to prove to herself that she could handle him even at his most frightening.

Keeping her pinned to the floor with his tail, Betelgeuse’s head hovered over her. His snake tongue flicked out, tasting the air. Lydia wondered if he could smell the natural panic that was rising in her chest. Even though logically Lydia knew she wasn’t in danger, the animal part of her brain recognized this situation. A little rabbit ensnared by a serpent. 

“The pain would be sweet,” Betelgeuse snarled softly. He hovered his head over Lydia again, delicately flicking out his tongue to taste her neck. A deep rumble echoed throughout the serpent. It wasn’t Lydia’s imagination that his tail was slowly twining its way around her ankle. 

Lydia slowly reached out a shaky hand, running her fingers along the scales on Betelgeuse’s neck. She watched him tremble ever so slightly under her touch.

“So what would you do with me?” Lydia asked, her voice hushed. Something in her question pushed Betelgeuse to the edge, because without warning his tail dragged her legs apart. She stayed very still, shivers running down her spine, and refused to break eye contact with the serpent. 

“I think you know,” he hissed.

The dynamic between them had shifted. Lydia was the one pinned down to the floor, but she sensed that Betelgeuse couldn’t move either. Despite his dark words that promised sweet torture, Lydia realized she wasn’t afraid of him. This realization was only strengthened when she felt Betelgeuse’s tail uncurl itself from her ankle.

“Tell me,” she said quietly, feeling bold.

Betelgeuse’s eyes flashed. His tail inched its way up her arm, and Lydia flinched when he brushed his tail over her breasts. She shuddered, dark fantasies springing to her mind that had never been there before.  

He loomed large over her, swiping his head close to hers. His eyes had never looked wilder. Lydia got the sense that she was seeing a very out of control Betelgeuse. She shivered beneath the razor-sharp cloud of his attention.

His face was very close to hers. “I’d take ya to my bedroom, tie ya up, and tease ya until yer _beggin’_ fer me to fuck you. And then,” he snarled softly, his snake tongue flicking out between his glinting fangs, “I’d fuck you _hard._ Over and _over_ again until ya beg me ta stop.”

Throughout all of Betelgeuse’s heavy-handed flirting, never before had he said something so brutally crude to Lydia. She knew on some level that it was wildly inappropriate, but she couldn’t help the way his words sent a wave of heat through her body. She barely breathed, feeling pinned to the spot by his green eyes. In that moment, all Lydia wanted was for Betelgeuse to act on every filthy promise he’d ever made her.  
  



	27. Chapter 27

Lydia reached out, bringing Betelgeuse’s face to hers and kissing him deeply. She moaned when she felt the tip of his tail rub tauntingly against her crotch. Abruptly the tail was replaced by a cold hand that hooked over the band of her leggings and started tugging them down her waist.

Lydia opened her eyes, finding her serpent replaced by Betelgeuse’s normal form. He snarled in frustration at her leggings, and before Lydia could stop him he ripped the fabric right off of her legs. Betelgeuse froze when he saw the pair of black underwear that she was wearing. 

“Is that the pair I gave you?” he growled.

Lydia nodded, speechless. Betelgeuse lowered his head and bit the little ribbon stitched onto the front of her underwear. She shivered, stretching out on the cold floor beneath him.

“Goddamn it Lydia,” he snarled, taking the girl off guard. Before she could react, Betelgeuse was on top of her. All of the self-control that Betelgeuse had ever exercised around her was completely thrown out the window. He grabbed her thighs, guiding them around his waist and burying his head in her neck. 

“Babes,” he rasped into her ear, his fingers digging into her waist. Without warning he was thrusting against her, the friction between them threatening to set fire to the cabin.

Lydia’s head rolled back against the floor, gasping. She loved the way he grabbed her waist, the way he snarled sweet gibberish into her ear. The way he touched her made her feel more like a woman than any of the boys she’d ever been with before. It gave her a sense of power that she’d never felt until now.

Abruptly Betelgeuse separated himself from her, and the sudden movement caught Lydia off guard. Wondering if she’d done something wrong, Lydia propped up her head to see what Betelgeuse was doing. She found him on all fours, staring down at her with those insane green eyes. 

“B?” she asked weakly, her knees shaking.

Striking faster than a snake, Betelgeuse grabbed Lydia’s knees and violently pulled them apart. His finger hooked into the band of the black underwear he’d given her, teasingly running along the delicate skin hidden by the swatch of fabric. Lydia’s pulse jumped in her throat, somehow sensing that she was in more danger now than she had been when Betelgeuse was in his serpent form.

“You’ve been teasing me, babes,” Betelgeuse hissed softly, his green eyes glowering.

“I’m sorry,” Lydia whispered, falling into a trance beneath the Beetle’s violent affection.

“I think you need to be punished, baby,” the poltergeist groaned, slipping his index finger inside of her and pleased to find his little fiancée wet. She made a little sound at the base of her throat, closing her eyes and moving into Betelgeuse’s hand so his finger went deeper inside of her.

He snarled, removing his finger and admonishing the girl. “No, no, baby. This isn’t about what you want.”

Lydia whimpered, shivering beneath Betelgeuse’s burning eyes. On some level she recognized that they had slipped into some kind of mesmerizing role play, but Lydia fell easily into a submissive role. All she wanted was for Betelgeuse to make right on his promises to her and dominate her. In a twisted way she _liked_ how rough he was being.

Betelgeuse took her underwear and _slowly_ slid it down her thighs, over her knees, and slipped them off her ankles. Lydia shyly opened her legs a little bit for him, not entirely sure how to act right now, but she was pretty sure she wasn’t alone in that feeling. It was almost as though Betelgeuse himself was captured in some sort of trance. 

With a little wave of his fingers, Lydia’s shirt was gone. The only thing between her and Betelgeuse was her bra, which seemed laughably pathetic in the path of Betelgeuse’s lust. Lydia watched as the poltergeist lowered himself, settling his head between Lydia’s thighs. 

“Don’t worry baby. Daddy’s gonna give ya want ya want,” he groaned. It was absolutely filthy, and wildly inappropriate, but in the moment Lydia couldn’t care less.

Betelgeuse dug his fingers into the fleshy part of Lydia’s thighs, pushing her legs even further apart. Even though Lydia knew where this was headed, she was still startled by the sensation of Betelgeuse’s tongue running over her most delicate parts.

“ _Betelgeuse_ ,” she gasped, bucking deeper into the poltergeist’s filthy embrace. He buried his tongue deep inside of her, rolling it around. His mind practically flat-lined from the way she tightened around his tongue.  

“ _Fuck,_ ” he swore, the word coming out garbled. He nipped her not so gently and slipped his tongue inside of her again. Lydia gasped, sucking in shallow breaths as the room around them started to fade and a hot sensation rose inside of her. 

Betelgeuse realized he was _shaking._ He had _never,_ in his life or death, wanted _anyone_ this badly. In that moment, with Lydia spread out beneath him and feeling how wet she was for him, Betelgeuse wanted nothing more than to be as deep inside of Lydia as possible. He loved the way they fit together, and he ached to know the sensation of being inside of this girl who had just waltzed into his death and taken him hostage.

Betelgeuse shuddered, lowering himself on top of Lydia and burying his face in her neck. He felt her run her fingers through his hair, and somehow the simple sweetness of that action snapped Betelgeuse out of his reverie. It was frightening how easily he could have taken Lydia right there and then, and the situation seemed like the perfect moment. And yet… something was causing the Beetle to hesitate.

“B? Are you okay?” came Lydia’s sweet, soft voice.

Betelgeuse propped himself up, staring down at Lydia. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair was a wild mess on the floor. He carefully lowered himself, pressing a hot kiss into the girl’s smudged black lips. She kissed him back, running her fingers along his cheek so sweetly that it did something to Betelgeuse’s black, dead heart.

Lydia broke the kiss this time, trying to gauge Betelgeuse’s expression. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked anxiously, squirming self-consciously beneath the poltergeist. Betelgeuse snarled in frustration with himself, grabbing Lydia and dragging her back into place beneath him. 

“You were too good, babes,” he rasped. “I just don’t know how to control myself.”

Lydia’s black eyes searched his pensively. “I feel like I’m ready for… that,” she finished lamely, her cheeks hot from embarrassment.

Betelgeuse tightened his grip on her waist, digging his fingers almost painfully into her flesh. He said nothing, but Lydia could see him thinking. Something was definitely wrong. She tried to lighten the mood and poked his nose playfully. “Why the long face?” she murmured.

The poltergeist lowered his head, gnashing his teeth. “I–– I don’t think I should take your first time,” the poltergeist said harshly.

Well _that_ certainly wasn’t what Lydia had expected. Through all of Betelgeuse’s swagger and flirtation, that statement was quite literally the opposite of everything the Beetle was notorious for. Lydia’s heart dropped in her chest; she had a nasty feeling that she knew where Betelgeuse was headed with this. 

“What are you talking about?” she breathed.

Betelgeuse shook his head, abruptly pushing himself up. He handed Lydia her underwear, and looked forlornly at her torn pants. “Sorry ‘bout that babes. I’ll get you new ones.” 

Lydia stayed where she was, feeling whiplashed. She watched Betelgeuse conjure up a replacement pair of spidery leggings and lay them out on their bed. He was moving like he was about to leave the room when Lydia furiously stood up, stabbing one leg at a time into her underwear. She didn’t want to have a fight without wearing underwear.

“What the _hell_ is your problem?” she exclaimed.

Betelgeuse’s back tensed, and he slowly swiveled around to face her. To her deep amusement, the Ghost with the Most almost looked a little bit _frightened_ at her expression. “Lydia…” he started, but was unexpectedly cut off.

“Why do you think I was so frustrated with you at the bar?” Lydia said sharply, putting her hands on her hips. “One moment you’re sweet with me, and then you’re gone. You’re just… so confusing!”

From the miserable way Betelgeuse was looking at her, Lydia was once again overwhelmed by the sense that this whole situation was just a case of the blind leading the blind. Her mind suddenly echoed with the words he had told her at the bar, and before she knew it her vision was blurred with hot tears.

“Yer bein’ a brat,” Betelgeuse snapped, running a hand through his tangled hair. 

Lydia folded her arms tightly across her chest. “Oh, _I’m_ being the brat?”

Betelgeuse glared at her. “It makes me feel like an asshole, Lydia. Yer young and you have no idea what yer getting yerself into. You should be… I dunno, doin’ normal teenage stuff.”

Lydia couldn’t believe the words she was hearing. “Well, you _are_ an asshole,” she said without missing a beat. “And I may be young, but I’m not naïve. I understand what I’m doing. I know what I’m getting myself into if I accept your proposal.”

Betelgeuse shook his head. “You won’t have a normal life, Lydia.”

Lydia couldn’t believe he would even say that to her. “I was _never_ going to have a normal life; I don’t even want a normal life. _You’re_ the one that came back into _my_ life. Why did you kiss me, B? Why did you even _start_ this?”

Betelgeuse’s eyes widened. Despite being infinitely older than Lydia, it was the teenager who seemed to have clarity on their situation. He had thrown harsh reality in her face, only to be met with the realization that Lydia had already confronted these fears and come out with a stronger understanding of what she wanted. It made the Beetle feel weak, and he _hated_ it. He gnashed his teeth, fighting against his darker impulses to say something he’d regret.

“I didn’t know it was going to be like this,” he bit out. 

Lydia’s eyes widened. “Like _what?_ ” she scoffed.

Betelgeuse hesitated, and Lydia recognized the somber look in his eyes. The electricity in the air between them was suffocating, choking out every last sound until the silence stretched out endlessly. She was momentarily brought back to their conversation in bed this morning. 

Betelgeuse’s eyes burned into hers. “Don’t you know?” he asked raggedly.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, that damn angst rears its ugly head once again. Thank you to all my readers! You guys are the bee's knees! :)


	28. Chapter 28

Lydia held her breath, feeling the room tighten around them. The tone of his voice echoed the heartsick way the poltergeist had once asked her _How do you not know?_ It was another riddle in a web that Lydia was just falling deeper into.

Her first reaction was to yell at Betelgeuse, because here they were in _another_ stupid quarrel that he dared to postmark with _another_ question. But something held Lydia back from getting even angrier at the poltergeist; maybe because this time it felt different. This time, she was pretty sure she knew the answer to his riddle. 

Once again Lydia returned to her conversation with Barbara. The motherly ghost had been right to caution her; this was overwhelming. Lydia found herself staring across at Betelgeuse, who hadn’t spoken a word, and forced herself to ask the question suddenly looming over them: _do I regret allowing him back into my life? Should I have sent him away, all those months ago, to avoid this heartache?  
_

The part that was absolutely crushing to Lydia was that she was afraid of telling Betelgeuse to leave, even if it was only for a short period of time. She was fairly certain that if she asked him for space to think, he wouldn’t come back. It wouldn’t be out of spite, but because human emotions were just too complicated. 

“I think… I want to go home,” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Betelgeuse looked as though she’d just whipped him. Just ten minutes ago they’d been in the midst of passion, and now she was asking to go home. Away from their cabin, away from their privacy, but mostly, away from his world. 

Even though Lydia knew it was time to go home, a tiny part of her wished for Betelgeuse to refuse. She imagined him gnashing his teeth, pulling her towards him, and repeating his question until she finally answered.

But he didn’t. Keeping his gaze to the floor, the poltergeist nodded his head. With a wave of his hand they were both dressed. For once, Lydia was grateful for his supernatural abilities; hopefully this meant they could avoid the awkward packing up and driving home stage that human couples would have to endure after a confusing fight. 

Only minutes after asking to return home, Lydia found herself sitting on her bed in her room. Stella chirped happily at the sight of her owner, hopping up on the bed and butting her head against Lydia’s knee. Lydia scrambled to the window and looked out to find her car sitting in the exact same place it had been before they’d left. 

“B?” she asked uncertainly to the empty air of her room. She wasn’t surprised when there came no response, but it still hurt like a bitch. Lydia wasn’t even sure how the mood had changed so abruptly. Her heart sank to the soles of her boots when she realized that Betelgeuse must have taken her avoidance of his question to heart.

Lydia hesitantly went to her mirror, looking for any fog as a sign that her poltergeist was listening. _Her poltergeist._ She’d gotten used to referring to him that way without even realizing it. She swallowed hard and sat down in front of the mirror. Slowly she reached out a hand and laid it flat on the glossy surface.

“I have the answer to your question,” she whispered to her reflection, hoping that her ghost was on the other side listening. “I know what you were trying to tell me.” She waited for a response–– _anything_ from the other side that proved she wasn’t just talking to herself. But there came no answer. Betelgeuse was gone.

Lydia stood up, staring at her reflection in the mirror. In the heat of their quarrel, she’d thought that she wanted space. But of course now that she had it, and probably would have it for a while, she wanted to give it back. It was even worse than she’d thought.

“I’m sorry,” she sighed, before leaving her bedroom to let Barbara and Adam know that she was back from her trip.  
  
  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
                                                         
  


In the following weeks, Lydia did her best to focus on school and her friends. Percy’s brother hosted a couple more parties, and Barbara and Adam continued to help her with schoolwork. She attended the photography club meetings, and they even went on a few outings to unusual spots around the city to take photos.

Adam and Barbara noticed that Betelgeuse didn’t hang around the house anymore. Barbara brought it up a few times, but each time Lydia gave the same explanation: it wasn’t anyone’s fault, Betelgeuse hadn’t done anything bad. They’d just had a fight. When Barbara pushed the girl to ask if Betelgeuse was coming back, it was always the same answer: she honestly didn’t know. 

At first Lydia held out hope that the poltergeist would return to haunt her, but as the weeks passed by it was becoming clear that he wasn’t coming back anytime soon. She never even felt him perusing the mirror in her bedroom like he used to, and objects in her room stayed in place. 

Betelgeuse’s absence had a strange effect on the girl. The first couple weeks were the most difficult because she missed talking to him, and she missed having him around at night. But Lydia had never been the kind of person to fall apart over sadness; after losing her mom, there was nothing in life that Lydia couldn’t handle.

If anything, the emptiness Betelgeuse left inside of her seemed to be fueling her dark creativity. Her photography had never been more mysterious and depressing, and one day after class her photography teacher pulled Lydia aside to tell how impressed he was with her improvement.

“Have you heard of the Liberty Arts Center?” Mr. Hanavan asked her, peering down at her over his horn-rimmed glasses. Lydia couldn’t help but be amused by the way his glasses matched the image of a bespectacled cat on his tie. 

“The art gallery downtown?”

“That’s it.” He ruffled around in his bag for a moment before fishing out a slightly crumpled pamphlet. “Every semester they have a section for student submissions. They accept paintings, ceramics… and photography.”

Lydia accepted the pamphlet, crinkling it open. “You… want me to submit my photos?” she asked, surprised.

“Yes, particularly the photos for our most recent assignment. You’ve really impressed me, Lydia. You’re doing the kind of surreal, disruptive work that I haven’t seen a student do in a long time.” He saw the hesitation on Lydia’s face, and reached out to tap the pamphlet. “It’s free to enter, and you just have to submit the photos online for them to judge. They select the very best to display.”

Lydia looked up at her teacher, a rare smile ghosting her lips. “You think my photos have a chance to be selected?”

Hanavan chuckled. “I _know_ they do.”

Lydia ducked her head, allowing a veil of dark hair to hide her smile. In the past few weeks there hadn’t seemed like much to smile about, but Hanavan’s genuine praise lit a small candle within Lydia’s soul. Her photography had always been an outlet for the internal chaos of her emotions, and to hear that she’d successful directed those surreal feelings into unique photos was the kind of happiness that she needed right now.

“Think about it, Miss Deetz,” Hanavan said, throwing his bag over his shoulder and heading towards the door. “You still have a few weeks to enter. Oh, and have a great weekend!”

Lydia bit her lip, running her finger over the pamphlet. The Liberty Arts Center was a fairly prestigious exhibition center. Charles and Delia would be absolutely ecstatic if their freak of a daughter’s work was placed in such an exhibition.

But the real people that Lydia wanted to make proud were Barbara and Adam. She deflated a bit when she realized there would be no way for them to come to the exhibition if her work was chosen. Maybe she could call on Betelgeuse to work his magic?

The thought of Betelgeuse was another heavy stone on Lydia’s chest. Even though Betelgeuse didn’t really care about art or photography, she knew he would have been excited for her. She sighed, slipping the pamphlet into her backpack. 

Out in the parking lot, a familiar bike bell chirped in her direction. Lydia turned, smiling at the sight of Percy directing his bike towards her. His maneuverability was slightly impaired by the girl perched on his handlebars.

Her name was Shelly, and with long gangly legs and nails bit down to the quick by her worrying, she was the perfect awkward companion for Percy. Shelly had always been a bit of a social outcast like Lydia, but her circle had recently overlapped with Percy’s group of endearingly nerdy friends. Lydia was glad that Percy and his friends had a chance to hang out with a girl.

“Hi Lydia!” Shelly chimed, dismounting Percy’s handles. Percy kicked the bike stand, coming over to join them. 

“Hey, guys. What’s up?” Lydia asked, smiling.

The three of them chatted for a few minutes. Percy gave Lydia updates on Benjamin’s new girlfriend, who luckily was much nicer than Odessa had been. He also mentioned that according to Odessa’s social media, she had moved to Alaska.

Shelly chimed in, “Oh, also Percy and I are going to a movie tonight. You should come!”

Lydia crinkled her nose. “It’s not that new robots movie, is it?”

Percy folded his arms. “First of all, Lydia, there’s _nothing_ wrong with robot movies. And secondly, they’re doing a showing of the _Creature from the Black Lagoon._ You know, the swamp monster who falls in love with a babe?”

Lydia hadn’t ever seen it, but she vaguely recalled the poster of a fish monster carrying a hot brunette. She’d planned on working on her photos tonight, but she could just hear Barbara saying _going out with your friends would be good for you!_

“Sure,” she decided. “What time?”

“9:45, at that retro theater downtown. Want us to pick you up?”

“That’s fine, I can meet you guys there.”

With their plans settled, Shelly hopped back onto the handlebars. Lydia waved, watching Percy do his best to not crash his bike and hurt Shelly. As they biked away, the tiniest little twinge came to Lydia’s chest. She was watching the way seventeen-year olds were supposed to be; having fun, dating around and going to see old movies. Not for the first time, Lydia wished she could be just a little more normal.

Delia was overly thrilled at the news that Lydia was going out with friends on a Friday. With Charles away on business, Lydia had been cornered a lot recently by Delia. If she wasn’t demanding Lydia’s opinion on her creepy sculptures, she was trying to force Lydia to be a model for her next one. Lydia wisely decided that she didn’t need a horrifying sculpture of herself hanging around the house, and always turned Delia down.

Lydia put on music while she got ready for the movie. Recently she’d been wearing suffocating black turtlenecks and long skirts, so tonight she wanted to wear something a little different. Still black, of course, but maybe something she could breathe in.

She rooted around in her closet for a while before finding a tight-fitting red shirt. It had a black belt that looped around the waist and ended in a shiny buckle on the front. It took Lydia a second to recognize it; this was one of her mom’s old shirts.

She had no idea how it had gotten into her closet. After her mom died, Charles had given away all of her clothes–– not to be cruel, but because Lydia knew it hurt him to see her clothes and know she'd never wear them again. Lydia must have forgotten about stealing one and stuffing it into her wardrobe.

“I prefer black… but I guess I could make an exception for you,” Lydia told the shirt, smiling to herself. She paired the red shirt with black jeans that had little skulls embroidered along the pockets. Lydia lined her eyes with black, put on a few swipes of mascara, and headed out for the movie.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! And as always, thanks for reading!


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we get into the angst of the Beetle and his gothic fiancee, I wanted to caution that this chapter contains some fairly graphic violence. I've been both excited and anxious to release this chapter, because it establishes a slightly darker tone that will continue for the rest of the story. 
> 
> With that said, thank you so much to all my lovely readers! You guys are amazing. 
> 
> P.S. In this chapter, there is a nod to a line said by Rorschach, a character from the graphic novel/movie "Watchmen". If you're familiar with Rorschach, I'm sure you'll catch it! And if not, it's still a damn powerful line.

Lydia didn’t like much about this new town, but the retro theater was an exception. It was complete with the old-fashioned overhang that displayed plastic letters spelling out each movie and blinking bulbs. Posters decorating the front of the theater, framed behind glass and lined with circular bulbs. Even the front lobby was fitted with antique carpeting and retro ads for popcorn and soda.

She met Shelly and Percy out front by the ticket booth. Shelly saw her first, waving excitedly. Lydia could tell that Shelly had dressed well for Percy; her curly hair had been pushed back from her face with a pink headband, and her make-up was charmingly overdone. She wondered if Shelly’s mom had helped her get ready, and felt a little pang of sadness.

“Hi Lydia! I like your shirt,” Shelly greeted her.

Lydia blinked, looking down at her mom’s shirt. It fit her perfectly. “Oh, thanks.”

“Lydia! Glad you made it,” Percy grinned, giving her a quick side-hug before going to hover by Shelly. Lydia smiled to herself, knowing full well that she was third wheeling. But she didn’t mind being the odd one out. She was just happy to not be around ghosts for a change.

They brought their tickets and went inside. While Percy waited in line for popcorn, Shelly and Lydia went into their theater. They picked out seats in the middle, which was always the best spot for a movie, and watched the previews. Percy joined them after a few minutes, and though a few other people wandered in the theater was mostly empty.

Lydia always loved black-and-white movies, and she was immediately glued to the screen once the movie started. The music cues were a bit heavy-handed and dramatic, and once the Gill-man was introduced the rubber suit was pretty silly-looking compared to modern movie magic.

And yet… there was something about the way the Gill-man gazed at Kay, the babe from the posters, that caught Lydia’s attention. The theater was swarmed with ominous music whenever the Gill-man approached Kay, but Lydia wasn’t frightened of him like she was supposed to be.

Lydia watched the climactic scene where the Gill-man climbed aboard the boat in an attempt to get to Kay. There was the briefest moment when the monster unknowingly entered the trap, Kay's expression was almost filled with... regret? Pity? Lydia shook her head, assuming she was reading into things.

She watched the Gill-man capture Kay and take her to his cave. There came the famous shot of the monster carrying the girl bridal-style in his arms, and Lydia’s chest tightened. The movie playing in front of her was striking a little too close to her own reality.

Lydia brought her knees up to her chest, watching with tears in her eyes as Kay was rescued and the Gill-man was shot. He took a few staggering steps towards Kay before being shot again. He stumbled out to the lagoon where he died, his body floating motionless in the abyss. The music swelled, and the screen faded to black.

Lydia sat very still, staring at the screen. She knew that she was supposed to feel happy that the monster was defeated and the girl was rescued. But she remembered the way the monster had reached out to Kay, and her chest tightened.  

“Poor sea monster,” Shelly sighed when the lights went up. “He just wanted love.”

Percy scoffed. “He was a monster! There’s no way she could have loved him back.”

Lydia looked over at them sharply. Their commentary was a little too on-the-nose for her liking. Percy caught her tears and his eyes widened. “Lydia, are you okay?”

Lydia rubbed at her face again, forcing herself to smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. It was just a sad movie.” This caused Shelly to poke Percy in the chest, thrilled that Lydia agreed with her about the Gill-man just needing love. Their playful banter was drowned out by Lydia’s thoughts as they exited the theater.

“I parked back that way,” Lydia said when they were outside, jabbing a thumb towards the back parking-lot. 

“We can drive you to your car,” Percy offered.

Lydia shook her head. More than anything, she needed to be alone with her thoughts. “I’m alright. Thanks for inviting me. I’ll see you guys Monday!”

They waved and parted ways. She cut through the alley that led to the back parking-lot, but the hair raised on her arms when she found the lights were out. They’d been on when she had arrived; maybe since it was past 1 AM they went off automatically. Lydia’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, cautious for shadowy figures.

Since there was no other way to the back parking-lot, Lydia had no choice. She instinctively held her bag close to her chest as she entered the alley. Her heels click-clacked noisily on the pavement, making an eerie sound as they echoed through the alley.

The fine hairs on the nape of Lydia’s neck stood up, giving her the uneasy feeling that she was being watched. She turned around sharply, staring boldly into the shadows, but there was nothing. 

Lydia let out a breath of relief after passing through the alley. Sometimes she just let her imagination get the best of her. She was fishing around for her keys when she heard something scuff behind her. Abruptly something sharp connected with the back of her skull, causing her to see nothing but stars.

She cried out and collapsed to the pavement, her vision blotted. She tried to push herself up, but someone grabbed her shoulders and roughly threw her onto her back. A clammy hand wrapped tightly over her mouth, preventing the girl from crying out again.

Even though her head was swimming, Lydia blinked rapidly until the world came into focus again. She felt a strong force keeping her down on the pavement, and eventually the swimming darkness above her formed the silhouette of a person. She thrashed against the stranger, the blood roaring in her ears.

_This can’t be happening.  
_

Lydia’s mind was spinning. She fought for consciousness, biting down _hard_ on the hand clamped over her mouth. The man cursed, but his hand barely budged.

The cold realization trickled over Lydia that there was no one to help her. She’d foolishly chosen to park in the back because it was cheaper, but at this time of night there was no one around. Why hadn’t she let Percy drive her to her car? A thousand _what ifs_ bubbled to the surface of her mind as she flitted in and out of blackness.

Abruptly the pressure holding her down was lifted, and a blood-curdling scream ripped through the night air. Lydia coughed and blindly dragged herself away, desperately sucking in oxygen. At first she thought the screams belonged to her. Through the fog of her mind, it hit her: the hoarse screams were coming from her _attacker.  
_

Lydia propped herself up on the curb, coughing and trying to steady herself. She had no idea what was going on. She felt a massive headache coming on that came from an acute point of pain at the base of her skull. She drew in a shaky breath, her entire body trembling. Everything was happening so quickly and yet in slow motion at the same time.

She opened her eyes, trying to focus. The stranger wouldn’t stop _screaming._ She heard him begging for mercy, sobbing like a man strapped to the electric chair.

The fuzzy shadows around her started to take shape. She blinked rapidly, trying to pinpoint where the screams were coming from. She'd never heard a full-grown man scream before, and it made her skin _crawl_. When Lydia's eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, they widened in shock.

The man was being held high in the air, his legs dangling. At first it looked like he was floating, but then her eyes made out an enormous, fiery shadowy form that had the man in a choke hold. Through the ragged chorus of the man’s screams, Lydia could make out a soft, velvety hiss.

She watched as the man was lifted higher into the air, and at first Lydia thought her mind was playing tricks on her. But it wasn’t her imagination; the man’s arms and legs looked like they were being slowly pulled away from his torso, almost like putty. He continued _screaming,_ his eyes bulging from his sockets.

Before Lydia’s very eyes, the man’s _flesh_ started peeling away. All Lydia could do was watch in frozen terror as the man witnessed his own flesh being stripped away and dropped to the ground with a sickly _splat_. Blood poured onto the cement, revealing swatches of muscle. He _sobbed,_ screaming out for God.

“I’m your God now,” came the skin-crawling snarl of the shadowy figure. 

Silent tears ran down Lydia’s face. “Betelgeuse,” she whispered.

The formless black mass turned abruptly, somehow hearing her. Even though his figure was distorted, she knew it was him. But his supernatural eyes had lost their green, instead replaced by a crimson red. Blood red. His eyes practically spit fire, burning into Lydia’s soul.

“Please stop,” she croaked.

Betelgeuse’s eyes grew even larger. Lydia knew she was seeing the poltergeist in his most powerful, horrifying form; the Prince of Demons. She now understood what must have terrified Odessa to insanity, causing her to flee the state. She finally knew why Betelgeuse's mere name instilled such dread in the Netherworld. Her dark prince _roared,_ throwing the man down onto the pavement. 

Once the man hit the cement, his body seemed to revert back to normal. He stared at his hands, clawing wildly at his skin as if to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. From the dark mass came thousands of striped snakes with glowing eyes. The serpents twisted over to the man’s body, and to Lydia’s horror the snakes slithered into his throat when the man screamed.

“Make it stop,” she begged Betelgeuse, hot tears running down her cheeks. She heard the man gagging on the snakes, trying to scream. She turned away, burying her face in her knees. The poltergeist wasn’t listening to her. He was completely out of control.

The snakes vanished, freeing up the man’s throat. He coughed, trying to drag himself away from Betelgeuse. “Have mercy!” the man screamed. 

Betelgeuse’s shadowy figure raged like a black fire. The heat of his fury singed the man’s face. Betelgeuse looked straight into this man’s soul, and he saw what this man had intended to do with Lydia. He saw what he had done to other poor souls. He put the man in a nasty cycle of reliving the agony he had inflicted upon other people, causing the man to writhe in agony on the cement until he was curled up in a ball, weeping like a child. 

Betelgeuse lowered himself so that he was standing in front of the man, black flames licking the edge of his image. Through red-rimmed eyes, the man looked up at Betelgeuse and lifted a trembling hand. “Whatever you are… please stop,” he said hoarsely. “Just call the cops! _Please!_ I’ll repent.”

The fact that his man expected Betelgeuse to just let him walk away with his life was hysterical. The black flames were extinguished and Betelgeuse’s striped form stepped from the ashes. He took glee in walking slowly towards the man, enjoying the horrified confusion on his face.

Betelgeuse kneeled down, pinching the man’s cheek. “Men get arrested,” Betelgeuse said, very calmly. His next sentence came out as a roar: _“Dogs get put down!”_

Without Betelgeuse laying a hand on him, the man’s head split in half.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reading each of your thoughtful reviews makes my day! Thank you to everyone who has supported this story, seriously. I'm so happy to be sharing it with all of you!
> 
> And so, without further ado! Chapter thirty, in which the Beetle and his gothic fiancée finally make up...

Lydia had crawled away until she was in the grass beyond the parking-lot. She was wrapped in a ball, her knees shaking against her chest. The image of the man’s flesh being smoothly peeled away from his body kept replaying in her mind. And then the image of Betelgeuse, unleashed in his most powerful form, torturing the man. Whispering sweet violence to him.

She jumped when she heard a low rumble. “Lydia.”

Slowly the girl opened her eyes. Betelgeuse had returned to his normal form, black stripes and boots. He knelt down but maintained a distance between them. Lydia’s head throbbed, torn between wanting him to carry her home and being frightened of his touch.

“Are you okay?” he rasped. His eyes had returned to their normal green. They glowed calmly towards Lydia, betraying none of the sadistic violence that she had just witnessed. She forced her aching body into a sitting position, staring silently at the poltergeist. 

“Did you kill him?” she whispered.

Betelgeuse nodded. 

Tears leaked from her eyes, completely out of Lydia’s control. She knew that the man had attacked her with violent intentions, and if it hadn’t been for Betelgeuse she’d be dead. Or worse. But it was still shocking to see how calmly he took on the murder of another human being. Or how he had so easily tortured that man, and even enjoyed it.

“He was going to hurt you, Lydia,” Betelgeuse said very quietly, his voice stilted. She shook her head, crying. “I _saw_ it,” he hissed, growing furious again. 

She sobbed wordlessly, the thoughts that raced through her foggy mind dying in her throat. Her head throbbed where the man had hit her. 

Betelgeuse snarled. “I couldn’t let him live after what I saw. You weren’t his first victim, Lydia.”

Lydia wept, finally falling into Betelgeuse’s chest. He wrapped his strong arms around her _._ His mind kept replaying what he had seen in the man’s mind; Lydia’s poor, lifeless body thrown in the back of his filthy car and then rotting in the middle of a corn field. He knew he would be forever haunted by those images.

“I’m so sorry, Lydia. I’m so sorry,” he murmured, holding her tightly against him. She cried until she slipped into unconsciousness, falling into a dark, dreamless sleep in his arms. Betelgeuse closed his eyes, the world spinning around them until they were in a familiar bedroom. His bedroom.

It was the safest place Betelgeuse could think of. He didn’t want to bring Lydia to her room when she was so devastated; he didn’t want her to have any negative attachments to her bedroom. But his house was completely detached from the mortal realm, away from anything that could harm his bride.

He gently placed Lydia in his bed, intending to cover her with a blanket and then go hang around the living-room until she woke up. But the moment he broke contact with her, Lydia’s eyes flashed open. She sat up quickly, breathing hard. “You can’t leave,” she gasped, seeming to still be in between dreams and reality.

Betelgeuse returned to her in an instant. “I’m not going anywhere. Sleep, Lydia,” he murmured, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Lydia closed her eyes, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. She wondered how the hands that were so tender with her could be the same ones that had ripped that man apart.

“Please,” she whispered, grabbing his arm and tugging him towards the bed. Betelgeuse hesitated; he didn’t feel like he deserved to sleep next to her ever again. But he was completely under her spell; ever her lovesick puppy, Betelgeuse obediently climbed into bed next to her.

He slipped under the covers with her, and she curled up against him like a kitten. He ran his hands up and down the swell of her thigh, getting choked up at the thought of what that man had meant to do to her sweet, delicate body. He replayed the satisfying sound of the man’s skull splitting neatly in half, glad that the man was dead and rotting in hell.

In the darkness, Lydia reached for him. She pulled him down, placing a tender kiss on his lips. Stunned, Betelgeuse froze under her kiss. After everything that had happened, it didn’t make sense for her to kiss him. But the sensation of her sweet lips touching his shook Betelgeuse to his very core. He crushed her to him, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.

Neither of them knew why, but they needed to feel each other. Lydia drew strength from Betelgeuse’s kiss; the poltergeist felt his world steadying every time she kissed him. The contrast between the man’s violent intentions for Lydia and the tender, aching way that Betelgeuse kissed her was enough to bring tears to her eyes again.

They stayed like that for a long time, kissing each other deeply and trying to repair their broken souls. It didn’t escalate, because in that moment it had nothing to do with sex. It was Betelgeuse relishing every beautiful thud of her heart beat, the lovely rush of blood in her veins. He loved the way she inhaled sharply, exhaling slowly over his lips. She was _alive_ and _safe.  
_

Lydia shuddered as she kissed him, tasting his fear and feeling something powerful shift between them. She kissed him for all the past weeks that she had missed him. She relished the way he ran his hand down her thigh, grabbing her as if to make sure she wasn’t an illusion.

Betelgeuse broke the kiss, grabbing her tightly. “I had to protect you. I had no choice,” he rasped. Lydia’s thoughts flashed back to the movie, which felt like a lifetime ago. She remembered the way she had watched the Gill-man hopelessly follow Kay to his doom, as if he had no choice in the matter.

“I know what you were trying to tell me at the cabin,” Lydia breathed into the darkness. 

Betelgeuse wrapped his arms around her, kissing her deeply. “It doesn’t matter now. I never should have left,” he growled.

Lydia shivered, feeling his cold hands slip under her shirt and press into her lower back. So much had happened in such a short period of time. The movie, and the man in the parking-lot. Throughout the terror of tonight and her heartache from the last few weeks, Lydia had struggled to make sense of everything. But now she knew. Even if Betelgeuse didn’t need her answer, she needed to tell him.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she summoned the courage to whisper into his ear, “I… I think I’m falling in love with you.”

Betelgeuse stiffened and didn’t respond at first. He shuddered, and then came to life. He dragged himself on top of her, running his mouth up her neck and capturing her in a fiery kiss. He kissed her fervently, peppering her cheeks and throat with kisses until every inch of her body was marked. 

For the first time, the way their bodies heated up and intertwined felt deeper than lust. It felt like Lydia’s soul was responding to the way Betelgeuse touched her, ached for her. She felt ribbons of heat fluttering down to her abdomen, and the way Betelgeuse moved against her caused the type of friction that she’d only seen in movies before.

She peeled off her shirt and pants, reaching in the darkness for Betelgeuse’s shirt. He roughly helped her take it off, his pants twisting with Lydia’s in a crumpled pile. Betelgeuse pinned her arms above her head, his index finger playing with her engagement ring.            

There was a desperation to the way they moved against each other. Betelgeuse sucked on her throat, mapping her out with every kiss he pressed into her skin. She arched up into him, longing for the tenderness that he had always shown her. 

Betelgeuse suddenly felt as though a bolt of lightning had ripped through him. He drew away from Lydia briefly, looking intently into her eyes. This was headed in a certain direction, and he didn’t understand why. He felt like he didn’t deserve her this way, no matter how badly he wanted it.

“Lydia…” he said softly, almost a warning.

Lydia looked up at him, her cheeks flushed and lips slightly swollen from their intense kissing. She read his expression easily, which spooked the Beetle. Being away from her the past few weeks, he’d almost forgotten how well she could read him now. It was strange, having someone in his life who really knew his thoughts.

“You really should rest,” Betelgeuse rasped. “We can… talk tomorrow.”

Despite all of his animal instincts screaming at him to get back in that bed and make love to her, Betelgeuse drew farther away from Lydia. He only stopped when Lydia reached for him and grabbed his bare arm. 

“I want this,” Lydia said fiercely, and from the firm set of her jaw Betelgeuse knew she was telling the truth. He exhaled shakily, reverting back to his old human habits. He inched closer to the girl, never breaking eye contact from her. 

He pressed his cold forehead against hers. “Lydia,” he whispered. “Are you sure?” His voice so raspy that it was almost a growl. 

“I need it to be you,” she breathed into the darkness.

Betelgeuse shuddered. “Lydia… there’s so much I want to tell you…”

Lydia curled her fingers into his wild hair, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. “Show me, B. Please show me.”

He shook his head, and Lydia realized that he was trembling against her. He wrapped her in his arms, positioning himself above her. He delicately reached between them, finding his fiancée wet for him. A powerful heat of lust coursed through his body and went straight to his lower regions. He snarled, thrusting himself against her thigh to slake a deep, lustful itch. Lydia gasped, grabbing his shoulders for support. 

Seeing her beneath him, completely naked and vulnerable for _him,_ was enough to crack the Beetle’s dead, black heart. Her lovely dark eyes, normally sparkling with moxie, were wide and trusting. He sensed a nervous energy lifting off of her in delicate waves. He pressed a lingering kiss to her smudged black lips, knowing how eternally fucked he was and no longer caring.

“Tell me if it hurts,” he whispered into her ear, chest heaving. She nodded, threading her fingers with his to steady herself.

Betelgeuse gently pushed himself inside of her. Both of their reactions were immediate; Betelgeuse swore loudly, burying his face in Lydia’s neck, and Lydia cried out in a mixture of pleasure and pain. She closed her eyes tightly, listening to the sweet gibberish that Betelgeuse rambled into her ear. 

“Keep going,” she said softly, squirming around a bit to reposition herself. Every tiny movement she made drew a lengthy moan from Betelgeuse. She moved against him encouragingly, causing the poltergeist to slide deeper inside of her. He swore again, grabbing her tightly and grinding out her name.

“Betelgeuse,” she said breathlessly. He responded by kissing her and moving deeper inside of her. She squeaked, trying to adjust to the sensation of him filling her up. It still hurt, but now it was more of a sharp pressure. 

She felt him watching her every move. Lydia curled her fingers around his arms, looking up at him. Nothing had prepared her for this, and she felt herself mentally scrambling–– what did the girls always do in the movies? What were the tips she’d caught while reading those girly magazines? 

But there was no amount of sex tips in magazines that could have prepared Lydia for this. The Beetle’s green eyes, which she had seen shift in emotion and color countless times, were impossibly soft as he gazed down at her. She felt him move inside of her and she took in a sharp breath. At the back of her mind came the insane thought _of course my first time would be with a fricken ghost.  
_

But he didn’t _seem_ like a ghost at all. He was more alive than Lydia had ever seen him. He felt so solid, every molecule of his being focused on _her._ Lydia was absolutely shattered by the way he looked at her. It was the way he had looked at her in the bar, the way he had looked at her in the cabin. His ragged voice, eyes stormy. _Don’t you know?_   

“I can’t believe it’s you,” she whispered, almost laughing to herself. 

Of all things, Betelgeuse’s face suddenly broke into a smile. It was one of his goofy, toothy smiles–– no cockiness or swagger to it. A genuine, dorky smile. It was almost a glimpse into the person Betelgeuse might have been. 

Betelgeuse moved slowly in and out of her, trying his best not to hurt her. Lydia closed her eyes, curling her fingers into his arms. The pressure started to give way to a new, sharp kind of pleasure that she had never felt before. “Yes,” she whispered. “Keep going. Please.”

Her sweet requests were enough to break Betelgeuse’s heart. He kissed her again and again, telling her how good she was, whispering to her until it was almost a language only they could understand. 

He hadn’t been inside of a breather in centuries. He’d forgotten how much sweeter it was; her _warmth_ was intoxicating. He could feel her muscles, her bloodstream, her _life_ pulsing in her and it took everything in Betelgeuse’s willpower not to marry her right there and then.

He wanted to give her everything she wanted. It made Betelgeuse spitting mad to think about that man touching her in this way. Where the man wanted horrible violence, Betelgeuse wanted nothing for himself. He waited for her every command, reading her expressions carefully. He still couldn’t believe she had chosen him. For the first time in his life, Betelgeuse did the honorable thing. It was his duty to her to make sure her first time was everything she deserved. 

Lydia exhaled shakily. Now each time he thrusted inside of her was tinged with more pleasure than pain. “You can go faster,” she said softly. She’d kept her eyes screwed shut while Betelgeuse slowly moved in and out of her. The first thrust had been painful, and it still ached. It felt like a very sharp pleasure that slowly loosened with every careful thrust.

“Does it feel good, babes?” he growled, uneasy.

“Yes,” she whispered. “It feels good… right there,” Lydia breathed, looking a little sheepish. Betelgeuse kissed her, slowly rocking his hips so he kept hitting the exact spot Lydia asked for. 

“Yes… B…. oh B….” she whispered in between moans. 

In that moment, Betelgeuse wanted them to be as connected as possible. He wanted her to be able to say his full name, even if it might be a tad dangerous. “Say… my… name,” Betelgeuse panted in between thrusts.

“Ah… Betelgeuse,” Lydia moaned. “Betelgeuse!”

Her voice grew higher until it was just unintelligible cries. Betelgeuse worked her towards her orgasm, slamming his hips against hers to satisfy the deep itch that threatened to drive him mad. He groaned when he felt her tighten and unknowingly push him towards his finish.

Betelgeuse buried his face in her neck, kissing her throat as he came with her. His arms tightly kept her in place, and he rocked into her again and again until they both collapsed.

Still inside of her, Betelgeuse kissed her earlobe and growled, so softly that she might have imagined it, “Babes… even if ya choose not ta marry me… I want ya ta know… ‘m always gonna protect ya.”


	31. Chapter 31

Betelgeuse stirred to life the next morning, groggily looking around the room. Watery gray light filtered in through his broken window shades. It took him a moment to place himself, since it was unusual that he woke up in his house. Usually he slept at the Deetz mansion, and before that his drunken endeavors always ended with him waking up in random places.

There was also a weight on his chest. He blinked again, recognizing Lydia’s head of raven-black hair. Though he remembered falling asleep spooning her they must have shifted during the night. He was now laying on his back, and she had curled up on his chest like a kitten. The blankets were tangled in their legs.

The previous night came back to the poltergeist in pieces. After their fight at the cabin, Betelgeuse had decided to back off. He kept to himself, allowing Lydia to go about her life. He kept an eye on her, but it was always from a distance. He reasoned it to peering at her life through a telescope, as opposed to haunting her mirror. 

Last night though… he slipped. He’d been in the middle of winning a poker game with several of the Netherworld’s most damned bachelors, when he heard it. Lydia screaming. He’d vanished from the game so quickly that his cards fluttered delicately to the soft green felt of the table, leaving his opponents confused.

Betelgeuse still didn’t know how he had heard her. It didn’t make sense, although turning to logic in a world of sandworms and demons probably wasn’t helpful. All he knew was that he found Lydia damaged, which was _not_ the most ideal way for the most feared poltergeist of the Netherworld to find his fiancée.

And then… Betelgeuse swallowed hard, running his fingers through Lydia’s tangled hair. They were both still naked from last night’s… ah, turn of events. Betelgeuse closed his eyes, longing to memorize every second of last night. He had lusted after her for so long, tortured by dreams and fantasies of making her his blushing bride.

But he never had a choice in the matter. The more Betelgeuse thought about it, the more he realized how true it was. From the first time he ever laid eyes on Lydia, he was drawn to her. Their first sham wedding had been a mistake, the actions of a desperate and foolish version of himself that he hardly recognized. He still couldn’t believe that Lydia had struck up a deal with him again, let _alone_ sleep with him.

Betelgeuse kept running his fingers through her hair, feeling her rise and fall on his chest with each delicate breath. _I need it to be you,_ she had breathlessly told him last night. Her words kept bouncing around his head, affecting him the same way each time. _God fucking damn it, Lydia,_ he thought, glaring at the lovely, sleeping goth. _You’ve infected me with feelings.  
_

The smell of smoke rose to Betelgeuse’s nostrils. He froze, confused for a split second; was something on fire? Clarity struck him all too late when the smoke was accompanied by the sound of heels clicking around in his kitchen. He sank deeper into the bed, gnashing his teeth.

She wasn’t going to leave until he talked to her. Hoping to not disturb Lydia’s slumber, Betelgeuse reluctantly tore himself away from the bed. It physically hurt to leave her warmth behind, but he had no choice. He rearranged the blanket so that she was covered before conjuring up a black-and-white striped robe for himself.

Accompanied with matching fuzzy slippers, Betelgeuse closed the door to his bedroom and strolled out to the kitchen. There, standing in all of her haughty, judgmental glory, was Juno. Today she wore a snappy black pencil skirt and a blazer with effervescent buttons.

Clinched around her throat, just below the slice where smoke curled from, was a gleaming necklace of pearls. As Betelgeuse sized her up, he couldn’t help but compare her menacingly shiny pearls to the heavy chain collars worn proudly by guard dogs. 

Juno said nothing at first, dragging on her cigarette and slowly taking him in from head to toe. He had hoped that at least the fuzzy slippers would throw her off, but he’d been foolish to think anything could deter Juno’s cold, calculating rage. 

She and Betelgeuse stood there for a solid minute, staring each other down in some power move game of not speaking first. Smoke curled around the slit in her throat and up around her eyes when she finally rose above Betelgeuse’s childish games, and spoke. “Is she here?” she asked coolly, her voice smoke-scratched as ever.

Betelgeuse folded his arms, deciding to be an ass. “Who?”

Juno narrowed her eyes at him. In all of his time being dead, he’d only known two ghosts who were more powerful than him and Juno was one of them. The thing with Juno was that her power came from the fact that she didn’t use it on silly tasks like conjuring up clothes or baskets of food, like Betelgeuse did.

She conserved her power and allowed it to crackle to life inside of her, waiting to be called upon. This made her unpredictable, which challenged even the Ghost with the Most. 

“You want to play games, Betel?” she asked coldly.

It was the tone of voice that even caused the Beetle himself to drop his gaze an inch or two. “Yeah she’s here,” he grumbled, annoyed that she could draw the truth out of him with such ease.

Juno tossed the cigarette onto his grubby kitchen floor, and stomped it out violently with her kitten heel. “Let’s go,” she snapped, leaving the ashen mess behind her as she stepped towards the door.

Betelgeuse stiffened. “I can’t leave her alone here,” he said, bristling.

“Then send her back to her home where she belongs,” Juno tossed over her shoulder, tapping her foot impatiently by the door.

Betelgeuse drew in a deep, fake breath in an effort to calm himself. He conjured some paper and scribbled a note that he was out and would be back soon. _If Juno doesn’t string me up first,_ he thought to himself. He honestly was surprised that Juno hadn’t paid him a visit sooner. Even though he had a pretty good idea of why she’d picked this morning, her visit could be due to a multitude of reasons.

Betelgeuse huffed and followed Juno to the door. She quirked a brow at his appearance, clearly disapproving. “We’re going to be headed to my office, Betel. I suggest you change… unless you want people to know the Ghost with the Most wears slippers.”

He practically bared his teeth at her in response, but controlled himself. They both knew that Betelgeuse could scare the sanity out of a person regardless of what he was wearing, but it was Juno purposefully picking on him. He snapped his fingers and by the time they stepped through his doorway, he was wearing his usual black-and-white suit.

It didn’t surprise Betelgeuse when they passed under his threshold and stepped into Juno’s headquarters, even though his house and her building were millions of miles apart. Juno could manipulate things just like the Beetle, although he prided himself with the terror of his manipulations.

Several workers swarmed to Juno, thrusting paperwork in her face and insisting that her attention was needed with different cases. People audibly reacted from seeing the Ghost with the Most stride through the waiting room in Juno’s wake. A handful of creatures cursed at Betelgeuse as he passed, while a few sorority ghosts hopefully sang out his name.

He ignored all of them, following Juno through a wacky, mathematically-impossible hallway that he recognized. She pulled out an ancient circle of skeleton keys and unlocked her door. Betelgeuse ducked his head and entered her office.

It was messier than usual, with manila folders and teetering piles of paperwork stacked everywhere. Juno swiftly took a seat behind her desk, motioning for Betelgeuse to take his. Feeling like a kid sent to the principal’s office, Betelgeuse dusted off the seat just to be obnoxious before settling into it.

“ _So_ , how’s it going’? You haven’t aged a day since I last saw you,” Betelgeuse said brightly.

Juno had conjured another cigarette. She lit it and inhaled deeply. “ _You_ don’t get to chitchat,” she snapped. “I don’t even know where to _begin_ with you, Betel. It’s been over a year since I let your little _act_ with the Deetz family slide, and then I hear that you’re hanging around that girl again. I hear that you’ve _proposed._ Again!” _  
_

Betelgeuse wagged his finger at her. “Ah, the rumor mill isn’t always faithful, Juno. We _technically_ aren’t getting married as of right now.” 

“ _Technically_ my ass,” Juno scoffed. “She has a bloody ring on her finger.”

“The deal we struck,” Betelgeuse said slowly, almost a hiss, “is that if I gain the girl’s trust, then she will marry me. It’s entirely dependent on her.”

“Oh, please. She’s a seventeen-year-old girl.”

“It’s not––”

Betelgeuse abruptly felt his mouth zipped shut. He clutched at his mouth in shock. Juno took a drag from her cigarette again. “You don’t get to talk, Betel. I left you two alone because no one was getting hurt. In fact, you’ve behaved noticeably better with her than you ever have. Not including the incident with Lydia’s classmate, of course. Or your little pyro act at that poor boy’s party.”

Betelgeuse mumbled something against the zipper, to which Juno nodded. “You _pushed the limit_ with that girl, but I agree. You did not cause her physical harm, nor the people at that party, so I cannot detain you for that. Even though you need to learn to control your temper.”

The poltergeist glared daggers at her, pouting like a child. Juno ignored this and instead breezed through a very thick folder. Her eyes passed over something that brought her to a pause. “Last night, however… is a different story, Betel.” She raised her gaze to meet his, abruptly very grave. “You killed a man.”

Betelgeuse said something muffled that sounded an awful lot like _big deal._ Truth be told he’d tortured and killed countless people during his life and death. A lot of them hadn’t deserved it. He didn’t understand why Juno was making a fuss over one little individual who absolutely had it coming.

Juno shook her head. “He wasn’t just anyone, Betel. We think he’d been hired to kidnap the girl. As it turns out he had his own plans for her, but he’d been paid to at least kidnap her.”

For the first time in centuries, Betelgeuse was at a loss for words. Juno reluctantly unzipped his mouth, but even then he was speechless. “Who hired him?” Betelgeuse asked suddenly, all previous sense of amusement gone. His voice was deadly quiet.

“We’re working on it. You need to keep your temper in check, Betel.”

“Well _I_ don’t like people being hired to kidnap my _fiancée_ ,” Betelgeuse snarled, abruptly standing up so fast that a stack of paperwork went flying. The papers flew dramatically around him, his eyes burning.

Betelgeuse started pacing, muttering furiously to himself. Juno narrowed her eyes at him. She’d never seen the Beetle so rabid before. Maybe the rumors were true and he really was falling for a breather. It would explain why he was acting even wilder than usual.

“You also can’t be going around murdering people, no matter how much you think they deserve it. I know you used to get away with it a lot before I took this position, but I am officially warning you. If you kill again, you’ll be sent to the Lost Souls room.”

Betelgeuse’s entire figure burned. “You can’t send me there,” he cackled. “I’d blow that room apart.”

“I think,” Juno said slowly, taking a drag on her cigarette, “the truth is you’re _afraid_ of that room. You know what will happen to you if you’re in it.”

Betelgeuse all but threw himself at her like a wild animal. “I’m not afraid of _anything,_ ” he hissed. “I’m the Ghost with the Most.”

Juno shook her head. “Unfortunately, Betel, I know there is something you _are_ afraid of. And this time I’m not talking about the Lost Souls room.”

The poltergeist was motionless for a brief second. He knew exactly what Juno was talking about, and it made him bristle. For the first time in his existence, the famous Beetle had a weakness and there were a lot of people who wouldn’t hesitate to use it against him.

“You need to break off the engagement,” Juno said coolly. “You’re only putting the girl in more danger with this little game you’re playing with her.”

“I’m. Not. Playing. A _game,_ ” Betelgeuse spat out, each word tasting like vile on his tongue.

“You’re playing house with her,” Juno snapped. “And for God knows what reason she’s going along with it. But rumors are spreading about her, and she’s going to be in the kind of danger you can’t protect her from.” 

“You leave her out of this,” he snarled.

Juno shook her head, smoke curling around her eyes. “You should have known better than to get involved with her. If that girl dies, Betel, her blood is on you.”

“I’m not going to let anything happen to her,” the poltergeist hissed, teeth bared. Sick of being berated on topics that already haunted him in the late hours of the night, he turned violently away from her. He fucking _hated_ that she was right, but more than anything he knew that on some distant level, Juno pitied him for having a weakness. It made him feel sick.

“Before you go, Betel, there’s one last thing,” came Juno’s voice just as his hand wrapped around the door handle. He didn’t look at her, completely unresponsive. He was so mad he was practically shaking.

When the poltergeist didn’t respond but also didn’t leave, Juno knew she had his attention. She hesitated before saying, “Rigel’s back.”

Betelgeuse’s anger was momentarily forgotten. He turned to Juno in disbelief. “What? How?”

Juno just stared at him with an impenetrable expression. In lieu of a clear response, she simply said, “Be careful, Betel. And remember what I said about killing anyone else.”

Their meeting was over. Without saying goodbye, Betelgeuse swung back around. The poltergeist practically ripped the door off its hinges when he swung it open, and slammed it shut after him.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's day! I also can't believe that in a couple months, it will be a year since I posted the first chapter of this story. It's grown so much since then, and that's thanks to all of your support! :)


End file.
